Same Old Lang Syne
by scarlett2112
Summary: DE STORY FOR HOLIDAY 2016: Damon meets his old lover in the grocery store. The snow was falling close to Christmas Eve. He stood behind her in the frozen foods and touched her on the sleeve. What happens when high school sweethearts meet again, years after ending their romance?
1. Chapter 1

_**Welcome to my 2016 DE Holiday Story.**_

 _ **Title and lyrics courtesy of Dan Fogelberg.**_

 _ **Chapter One: 'Auld Lang Syne'**_

* * *

Damon hasn't driven down this long lonely highway to Mystic Falls in many years. As soon as he graduated from high school, he took off, having only returned twice since then. Once for Stefan's graduation and the second time to help his parents move to the gulf coast of Florida. No longer having any family in the area, Damon never had a desire to return. Still he thinks of _her_ often, his high school sweetheart. Although they were very much in love, they broke up when they wanted different things in life. All Damon wanted was to play his music and all Elena wanted was to go to college and experience all that life had to offer. With sad hearts but also with excitement for what their futures would hold, they said goodbye to each other. In the intervening years, Damon has had many girlfriends but there has never been any magic, nothing that would make him want to spend forever with any of them. They'd date a few months but as soon as she became possessive and wanting more, Damon would say adios. It was always the same thing.

After parting with Elena, Damon went to New York, playing in bars and hangouts and coffee houses, earning his chops. One day a scout happened to hear him play his music. The guy hooked him up with a record producer who in turn helped him form a band. Somehow they managed to cobble together a few hit songs. Damon and his cohorts have been together for nearly a dozen years already. Since they're playing a venue not far from Mystic Falls, Damon felt an unfamiliar pang of something leading him down this lonely road tonight. As soon as he sees the sign for Mystic Falls, a smile forms on his face. When he crosses into the city limits, he drives through main street. The town is all decked out for Christmas. The light poles are covered with wrap around greenery and wreaths. Banners are strewn on every block with holiday greetings and the shops all have Christmas lights twinkling in their windows. When he drives past the town square, all of the pine trees are twinkling with a plethora of multicolored lights. Without realizing it, Damon feels the holiday spirit begin .

With the band not performing for a couple of nights, Damon thought maybe he'd get a motel room and perhaps he can catch up with some of his old acquaintances. After their next show, the group is taking a much needed break. Damon will drive to Florida to spend what's left of the holidays with his parents.

Once he gets through the downtown area, he drives to where he remembers the motel to be. Luckily for him the light is flashing vacancy. After securing a room, he takes his duffle bag inside and plops down on the bed for awhile. Glancing at his watch, Damon realizes how late it is. None of his buddies will be up at this hour anyway so rather than go out, he grabs a clean pair of boxers. After showering, he lays back on the bed and turns the TV on. Finding a movie he likes, he gets comfortable and settles in to watch it, dropping off to sleep before the 'the end' pops onto the screen.

* * *

Waking up around noon, Damon forces himself out of bed. After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he drags himself to the bathroom to shower. Stepping in, he lets the hot water massage his tense muscles. With his palms firmly planted against the shower wall, he drops his head slightly and wonders if Elena still lives in this town.

 _"Where are you taking me?" she asks, dutifully following along. Her eyes are closed at Damon's behest. Squeezing her hands lovingly, he leads her down the path to the special place he discovered when he was just a youngster._

 _"It's a surprise," Damon whispers, raising one of her hands to press a kiss to her fingertips. Elena can't help but notice how the path winds and rises and falls. Soon she hears the sound of water rushing. When she feels the spray of the water, Damon tells her to open her eyes. Open them up, Elena first shares a smile with him before turning to look at the spot that he led her to. "It's beautiful, Damon," she gushes, astounded at the waterfall above them. The water in this part of the river is crystal clear. The falls itself drops at least ten feet. The trees and the green grass and the worn trail are inspiring._

 _"When did you find this place?"_

 _"I think I was ten or eleven. I was mad at my mom and dad and so I ran away. That's when I found it. Of course I got scared when it started to get dark outside so I went home with my tail between my legs," Damon laughs, wrapping his arms around her middle, pulling her close. Leaning forward, he captures her lips in an ardent kiss. Pulling back, Elena gives him a wink and a lascivious lick of her lips before pulling her tee shirt over her head. Not one to lag behind, Damon's eyes darken and fill with lust. Stripping himself, he gets in the water, holding his arms out for her. Elena squeals then leaps into his arms._

 _Damon carries her to the rocky ledge behind the waterfall. After helping her up, he crawls out of the water himself, immediately setting between her legs. The two make love to the sweet sounds of nature and skin slapping against skin._

Shaken from that beautiful memory when the water begins to turn cold, Damon turns it off and steps out, wrapping a towel around his waist. Taking the time to put some cologne and fresh deodorant on, Damon stares in the mirror for a few moments. Although Stefan has been back a few times since their family moved away, he's never mentioned seeing her or many of their other friends. Damon slips his jacket on then goes in search of something to eat. Shaking his head when he sees that the grill if still open for business, Damon walks inside. The place hasn't changed much in the years since he used to hang out here. The pool tables and dart board as still tucked away in the corner. There are new advertising lights for beer and liquor. Looking around, he doesn't really see anyone he knows.

Walking up to the counter, Damon takes a seat on one of the barstools. When the bartender turns around, his eyes widen for a moment. And after shaking his head, he asks, "Damon?"

"Ric?"

"Yeah," he starts to say, shaking Damon's hand. "I own the place now. How long has it been?"

"I've only been home twice since graduation. The last time was about eleven years ago. Mom and dad moved right after Stefan graduated."

"How is Stefan?"

"He's a doctor in Fort Myers. He and his wife have twin boys."

"And what about you?" Ric asks, pouring him a cup of coffee since Damon doesn't like to drink this early in the day.

"No, I'm not married nor engaged and there's definitely no little Damon's running around," he adds, taking a deep slog of his coffee. "My band is playing in Virginia Beach in the twenty third. After that show, I'm going to Fort Myers to spend Christmas with my parents."

"I've heard your music on the radio. Local boy makes good," Ric teases, offering Damon a menu.

"Yeah, we've been lucky, we have had a few top forty hits." After ordering a cheeseburger and fries, Damon hands the menu back to Ric. Looking around, he notices Andie Starr sitting in a corner booth with some guy he doesn't recognize. He went out with her once or twice before he and Elena started dating. Not seeing anyone else he recognizes, he visits with Ric for the most of the afternoon. Before leaving, he happens to run into some of his parents old friends. After chatting with them for a little while, Damon pays his bill then walks out of the bar. When a gust of wind pushes him a couple of steps down the sidewalk, Damon zips up his leather jacket and starts to walk back to his room for awhile. Unlocking his door, Damon steps inside, turns on the light and picks up his cellphone. Not wanting to be bothered, he left it lay when he went out for the day. Scrolling through his messages, he sees one from Stefan, a couple from his manager and one from his buddy, Brady. It's only when he sees one from his mother that he smiles.

Damon quickly calls home. When his mother answers, she tells him she only called to make sure he has a safe trip and in her not so subtle way, she tells him to find out what happened to the girl that he was smitten with in high school. "Mom, that was a long time ago. It was just a high school romance. We do grow up and grow out of such things. And besides, why on earth would you even think she'd be available even if by some miracle she's still here?" As if she didn't hear a word out of his mouth, Damon rolls his eyes when she continues.

"Nice girl, Elena," she starts to say, "the kind that will help you find the answers, Damon."

"Mom, I have no desire to settle down. And besides, it wouldn't be fair to any girl. I'm gone all the time. Most of the girlfriends I've had can't handle the groupies and then they get possessive and..."

"But Damon, Elena used to light up like a firefly whenever you were around."

"Mom?! Enough, already," Damon pleads, frustration spilling into his tone.

"Alright, I won't say another word," she agrees and Damon can clearly visualize her own eye roll. "I'll see you in a few days. I love you, son."

"I love you too, mom. Goodbye now," he tells her, clicking off his phone. Setting it down, Damon lays on the bed, his crossed arms supporting his head. Before long, he turns on the TV. It doesn't take Damon's eyes long to drift shut and moments later, he's sound asleep with his head now buried in his pillow.

 _"Let's go on the Ferris wheel. Please, Damon?"_

" _Anything for you, kitten," he replies, dropping a kiss to the tip of her nose. When their turn comes, they give the carnie guy their tickets and take their seat. After the guy locks the gate, he shifts the gear, moving them forward, stopping only to allow riders onto the next cart. As soon as they start moving again, they keep moving, going round and round. Slowing at the top, the ride suddenly lurches to a stop. Wrapping her arms around one of his, Elena snuggles in. Her big soulful eyes suddenly looking scared. Perking up when they hear the help yelling that everything is okay. The next thing they hear is the grinding of the gears when the ride starts to move them again. When the it's finished, they step out and walk back onto the midway. Stepping in front of him, Elena wraps her arms around his neck, steps on her tip toes to press a kiss to his lips._

 _When he sees the beaming smile on her face, Damon once again realizes why he fell in love with her all over again. Bending forward, he joins their lips in a smoldering kiss. It's only when they hear a whistle or maybe two that they separate. Breaking out in laughter, she takes his hand and pulls him down the midway to get the funnel cake he promised her._

Not realizing that he had dozed off, Damon yawns then throws his legs over the side of the bed. Feeling a chill, he rubs his arms briskly before getting up to check the thermostat in his room. Pulling the curtain aside, he looks out of the window, a little surprised to see snow coming down softly. Since he has a little kitchenette in his room, Damon decides to run over to the grocery store to get himself a small can of coffee, a twelve pack of beer and maybe something to eat. Slipping on his jacket, Damon walks outside. It's not slippery yet so he walks the couple of blocks to the store at a quick pace. As soon as he steps inside, he brushes the snow off of his shoulders. Seeing no little baskets, Damon grabs a cart and then walks down the aisle. Finding the coffee first, he picks a can then walks toward the fresh fruit. Deciding on some bananas, he puts them in his cart and then heads towards the frozen food aisle.

Not finding anything in the first row, he turns into the next one. When he looks up, he sees a woman, her long chestnut hair reaching the middle of her back. When she pushes a section back over her shoulder, Damon catches a glimpse of her profile. Stunned at the familiarity, Damon walks over to the woman. When he puts his hand on her shoulder and whispers her name, she turns around, her eyes flying wide open. Damon watches as a mixture of shock, disbelief and finally recognition washes over her even more beautiful face.

"Damon?" When he nods, she hugs him, spilling the contents of her purse in the process. They both erupt in laughter. Damon stoops down to help her pick her things up. As soon as she has them collected, he follows her to the checkout stand. When they're finished paying for their items, Damon walks her outside to her car.

"Would you like to have a drink, Elena? I bought a twelve pack." Dropping his chin to his chest, Damon immediately regrets how cheap that sounded. "I'm sorry, Elena. I don't even know if you like beer. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that."

"We could go for a drink somewhere, the grill? I'd love to catch up with you," Damon asks, his eyes nervously dancing around.

"I'd like that. We can see if the grill is still open but with Jenna pregnant, Ric has been closing early."

After putting the groceries in the car for her, Damon crawls in the passenger seat. Looking at his watch, it's only a little after eight in the evening. Pulling into the grill parking lot, the two of them get out. Just as they're about to pull the door open, Ric comes running outside.

"What's going on?" Elena asks, a little perplexed at his behavior.

"Jenna's water broke. I have to go," he explains.

"Isn't there anyone else available so you don't have to close so early?"

"No, since there hasn't been much for crowds the last couple of days, I've let them go home early."

"I can lock it up for you, Ric. What time?"

"Oh Elena, you're a godsend. Thank you. Lock it up at midnight." After handing her the keys to the place, Ric quickly darts around her, almost running into Damon. "Oh!? I didn't even see you there, Damon."

"You're a little preoccupied, buddy," Damon laughs, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess that's true. Listen, Elena, I have to go."

"Go. Give Jenna my best and don't forget to call."

"Promise. Bye now," he says over his shoulder as he runs to his car. Shaking her head, Elena drops the keys into her bag and walks in, followed close behind by Damon. Elena slips into a bar apron before turning around to face Damon.

"What's your poison?"

"Bourbon." Nodding she pulls out a step stool so she can reach the top shelf. After moving a few bottles around, she mumbles, "got it," under her breath, surprising Damon when she pulls out a bottle of Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve.

"That's where he keeps the good stuff," Damon laughs.

"Well to be fair, he saves it for special occasions," Elena winks filling a tumbler for each of them. After putting the lid back on it, she slides a glass towards Damon before picking up her own, savoring the burn as it goes down. "Good stuff," she says, licking her lips while staring at the way the amber colored beverage shimmers when the lights from the bar dance on the surface.

"It is indeed," Damon admits, licking his own lips after taking a sip. "The years have been a friend to you, your eyes are just as brown." When he raises his eyes, he's not sure if it's doubt or gratitude he sees reflected back at him. He remembers how sometimes he so easily fell captive, drowning in the depths of her eyes. But that was a long time ago, things have changed, they've both aged albeit she better than him.

"Thanks, Damon. How's your family?"

"My parents are retired. They love Florida. Stefan and his wife are there too. I'm an uncle now, Stefan and Lexi have twin four year old boys."

"That's wonderful. How about you, Damon? Are you married, children?"

"Nope, I never married, no kids running around. Yourself?"

"I'm married. Ten years already. Jed is an architect with a Richmond based firm. I don't have any children either,' Elena mentions, quickly taking another sip. For a brief moment Damon thinks he sees a flash of pain wash over her but it's gone as quickly as it came. Surprising him again, Elena continues, "Although Jed has been very good to me, keeping me safe and dry, we've had our ups and downs. And as much as I'd like to be able to say I love the man, it's not in me to lie."

Staring into his eyes for a second, she quickly throws back what's left in her glass, pours them each one more and then puts the bottle back in it's hiding place on the top shelf. An unfamiliar sense of awkwardness envelopes Damon because he has no idea what to say after her confession. Obviously she doesn't want to talk about it either because she picks up a rag and starts wiping down the smooth bar top. Quickly changing topics, Elena mentions that she's seen him in record stores, saying that he must be doing well.

Nodding, Damon drops his eyes to where his hands are wrapped around his bourbon. After a few seconds he looks up at her again. "We've had a few hits. The audience is wonderful but the traveling is hell. We're playing a gig in Virginia Beach the day after tomorrow. After that I'm flying to Florida for Christmas."

"A toast," Elena remarks, raising her tumbler. Clinking their glasses together, they drink a toast to their past innocence, both of them trying to reach beyond the emptiness but neither one knows how. As soon as Damon finishes off his drink, they both seem a bit tongue tied, running out of things to say to each other.

"Well, I suppose I should be on my way. I have to get up in the morning to drive to the concert venue, rehearsal and all," Damon mentions. Standing up, he slips his jacket back on. Elena walks around the bar to see him out. When he reaches the door, he turns around, surprised when she gives him a quick kiss. Smiling tightly, he nods ever so subtly, then steps outside, pulling his jacket snuggly over his chest when a light gust of wind seems to go right through him, the chill reaching deep inside. After giving her one final look, Damon takes off down the sidewalk. For a moment he was back in high school, feeling all the old familiar pain. As he rounds the corner to make his way back to the motel, the snow turns into rain.

* * *

 _Huge thanks to Eva for helping me with this. She is brilliant and her mind is always whirring with plots for us to undertake._

 _Big thank you to Kate for another awesome cover image. Please have a look at her story, "Let There Be Light" by Florencia7._

 _Thank you all of you for supporting all of my works. It means so much to me and to Eva._

 _There are some song lyrics mixed in with the chapter. Credit for them goes to Dan Fogelberg._

 _ICEM and TTFAF are still in progress._

 _Please remember to click the review button._

 _Have a wonderful day. Be safe and thank you all again._


	2. At The Beginning

One year later:

With the radio playing in the background, Elena works on finishing with her Christmas preparations and decorating the tree. As soon as she's done, she steps back to look it over. Not quite satisfied, Elena rearranges a couple of ornaments to fill in gaps in the branches. Happy now that the tree looks full and inviting, Elena takes a swallow from her wine glass, savoring the flavor as she polishes off the last drops. Setting the glass down, she picks up the wrapping paper, scotch tape, ribbons and bows. Taking the time to arrange them on the table, Elena goes to work wrapping the few presents she bought for Jed. He mentioned something about taking her to the Caribbean for her Christmas present. Even though they're pretty much married in name only now, she's comfortable with him.

Although they each have their own lives, she still attends conventions and office parties and those kind of things with him. Because her life is comfortable and settled here, Elena sees no reason to end her marriage and she's certain that Jed feels the same way. Although he made a casual reference to a tropical getaway for the holidays, he hasn't brought it up again so she'll have to wait till she opens her presents from him. Reaching for the bottle of Tom Ford cologne, she chooses a snowflake themed paper for it, carefully wrapping it up and tying it with a red ribbon. After affixing a bow to the gift, she sets it under the tree. Her cat, Buttons, is sound asleep, stretched out under the tree as well. While staring at her pet, Damon's smooth baritone voice suddenly starts to play on the radio. Smiling despite herself, Elena has no idea why the man has been staring in her dreams of late. Maybe it's the fact that he's still so drop dead gorgeous.

And yes, she did love Damon at one time in her life but that was a dozen years ago. But that being said, they did have a great romance while it lasted. Elena could have imagined a future with him had their interests not diverged so much.

They parted amicably and agreed that it was best given that each wanted different things in life. Although she was on board with breaking up, it still hurt at first but she eventually got over it. Jed swept her off of her feet in a whirlwind romance. At the time she thought she loved the man but it didn't take long for the bloom to drop off of the rose. Her husband is a good man, providing her with her every want except having a child. That was his one demand but he didn't bother to tell her that till after they were pronounced man and wife. After finishing with the wrapping, Elena stoops down to put the small package under the Christmas tree.

Hearing the phone ring, Elena walks over to pick up the land line. Seeing on the caller ID that it's her friend Caroline, she smiles and picks it up. "Hey Care."

 _"I know you have the banquet with Jed tonight but I was wondering if you're going to be in tomorrow?"_

"Yes, of course. Can you open in the morning though? I don't know if we're staying in Richmond tonight or coming back here?"

" _Yeah, I'll be glad to open it. The Chanel, Nars and Makeup Forever shipments are supposed to come in, right?"_

"Yes. Who would have thought, Caroline?"

" _What?"_

"We both went to college and now we're running a cosmetics store. But you know what, I love it."

 _"I do too, Elena. I'll see you tomorrow then. I'm going to pick up some fresh flowers for the counter on the way in tomorrow."_

"Sounds good, Care. Bye now," Elena adds, hanging up with a smile on her face. Taking a breath, she cleans up the wrapping paper, she goes up to their bedroom to get ready for his office Christmas party in Richmond. Jed said he'd be home by five thirty to pick her up. Once she showers and washes her hair, she sits down at her vanity to put some makeup on. Staring into the mirror she gets lost in her reflection.

 _"What's the matter, Elena?" Jed asks, walking into the bathroom, seeing her tears. Without saying anything, Elena hands him the negative pregnancy test._

 _"Oh thank, God," he blurts out, raking his hand through his mop of brown hair._

 _"What?!" Elena asks, stunned at his reaction._

 _"I don't want to be a father... not now, not ever."_

 _Feeling like her insides have been kicked out, Elena can only stare. Too shocked to say anything, she bolts out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. Pacing back and forth, she's angry that he never mentioned this before the wedding. Even though she loves him, she would've had serious reservations about marrying him had she known._

 _"Elena, stop," he says, stepping right in front of her, blocking her path._

 _"You should have told me, Jed. You knew that I wanted children and still you kept quiet. I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this," she adds, ripping his hand off of her arm. Not wanting to be in the same room with him, she runs out of their bedroom, slamming the door closed in his face. Just as she reaches the front door, she hears her name._

"Elena, I'm home," she hears him announce. Taking a breath, she tells him that she's in her room. Stepping inside, he walks over and presses a kiss to the top of her head. Elena doesn't miss the hint of perfume she smells before he takes off his shirt and tie to change for the banquet.

"What are you wearing?"

"My black dress. Why?"

"I'll wear my grey suit with the blue tie."

"That sounds nice," Elena adds, trying to hide the disinterest in her tone. "Are we going to stay in Richmond tonight?"

"No, I thought we'd drive back. Why?"

"No reason," Elena adds, spraying a little perfume on herself. After finishing up her hair and makeup, Elena walks into her closet, drops her robe and slips into her dress and shoes. She walks out just as he steps out of the shower. Picking up his dirty clothes, she stuffs them in the hamper. When he's dressed, he opens the bedroom door for her, extending his hand motioning for her to lead the way. After slipping on their coats, they walk into the garage, get in one of their expensive cars and drive to the banquet.

* * *

Driving the last fifty miles to Fort Myers is always the longest in Damon's mind. And maybe it's because he's fatigued from driving the last two days. His band had played a sold out gig at the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas. Since he had his car, he got on the highway early to begin the nearly all the way across the country drive because he promised his mom that he'd be home for Christmas again. Stefan and Lexi are expecting another baby. Damon knows he'll get the standard lecture about how his younger brother has a lovely family and he's still wandering around the country playing music. It's not that Damon hasn't tried to hook up with a few girls in the last year but for one reason or another, there have never been any sparks. Damon wants to see fireworks and feel his skin tingle when he finds _the one_. The only time in his life that he can remember feeling anything like that is with _her._

Brushing that thought aside because she's married, Damon plots his plan of attack when his mother starts nagging him about finding a wife and having kids again. He's not that old, only thirty. Needing an energy drink, Damon pulls into a gas station along the coast highway. Looking out to his right is the ocean. Even though it's December, people are walking along the beach, albeit in hoodies and jeans instead of bikinis. Shaking his head, he quickly fills his tank. After running inside to use the bathroom and get himself and an energy drink, Damon jumps back behind the wheel for the final few miles. The sun is beginning to set, casting the sky is brilliant hues of pink, orange and yellow. It's quite simply a gorgeous display of colors tonight.

It's dark by the time he finally pulls into his parent's driveway. After turning off the ignition, Damon just sits there, dropping his forehead against the steering wheel, too exhausted to even move. Before he can blink, his front door is being pulled open. Slowly lifting his head, he sees his mother smiling widely. When she reaches in to pull on one of his arms, he waves her off. Yawning widely, he finally summons enough energy to drag himself out of the car. "Are you hungry, Damon?"

"No, ma. All I want to do is sleep," he says, yawning again.

"Why are you so tired?"

"Mom, I've been driving from morning till night for three days now."

"You're just a kid yet. You shouldn't be so tired."

"It's not the age, it's the mileage," he adds, immediately walking up the stairs to his room. Without even bothering to change, he drops face first onto the bed, falling asleep as soon as his face hits the pillow.

* * *

When the Salvatore's finish opening their gifts, Damon spends some time playing Legos with his nephews, Reign and Robby. Too excited to spend any length of time on one game, they pull out another one. Although Stefan is visiting with dad, Reign tugs on his hand to get him to sit on the floor with them to play 'Sorry'. A self described expert at the game, it doesn't take Damon much time to win. Before the boys can rope him into playing something else, he excuses himself to see if his mom and Lexi need any help with the meal.

When his mother assures him that they have it covered, Damon grabs a zip up hoodie, slipping it on. "I'm going to take Jake for a walk. I won't be long," he mentions, raising his eyes to his mother's. Her blue eyes are as intense as they've always been. As soon as he puts the leash on Jake, the two best friends head down to the sand. Although there's a light breeze rolling in off of the ocean, Damon really doesn't feel cold. The bubbles are forming where the sea meets the sand. Noticing a good stick laying in the sand, Damon unleashes Jake, then throws the stick. Jake takes off into the surf. As soon as he finds it, he comes running back with the piece of wood in his mouth. Stooping down, Damon pets and ruffles his fur.

Feeling an unfamiliar pang of something, Damon drops onto the sand. Dropping his face into his hands, he looks up only when Jake starts to nuzzle him with his nose. Smiling, Damon tosses the stick again. Hypnotized by the ocean and the sound of the waves lapping onto the shore, his mind soon takes him back in time.

 _"May I have this dance, Miss Gilbert?" Her smile alone is enough to take him out at the knees._

 _"Why of course, Mr. Salvatore," Elena agrees, curtsying dramatically. Laughing, Damon wraps her arm inside of his and leads her onto the dance floor. Without hesitation, he pulls her body flush against his, lays her hand on his chest and wraps his own around her waist. The feeling of having her in his arms is so intense that he can barely think straight. Leading the steps, the two of them sway to the music. Elena can feel herself falling right through the looking glass every time she stares into the vivid blue hue of his eyes. Laying her head against his shoulder, Elena smiles when she feels him drops a kiss to her hair._

 _When the song is over, Elena steps back slightly so they can walk off the dance floor. Turning around, she starts to walk off when Damon grabs her wrist and pulls her back into his embrace. Before she can get a word out, his lips are molded against hers in an ardent kiss._

"What the?" Damon sputters when he's sprayed with moisture from Jake shaking out his fur. "Jake!?"

Not quite ready to go back inside, Damon kicks off his shoes. Feeling the sand beneath his feet, Damon curls his toes. He's always loved walking barefoot in the sand. His parents chose Fort Myers because of the beach. They used to vacation here when he and Stefan were boys. Feeling a chill surge through him when he steps in the water, he nonetheless keeps walking along, the hems of his jeans wicking in the water. Not seeming to care, Damon can't help but wonder why Elena has filled so much of his subconscious lately. Even though somewhere deep inside he knows that there's maybe something there, Damon brushes it aside because after all, Elena is married. Finding another stick, he throws it, watching as Jake dashes after it.

"Damon?"

Looking up, Damon sees his father closing the distance between them. "You've been gone awhile. Is everything okay?" he asks when he's within earshot of his son.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Damon says rather unconvincingly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know, dad. For the first time in my life, I feel a sense of emptiness. When I went to Mystic Falls last year, I ran into Elena. Ever since then, I've just felt unsettled. I don't understand it."

"Your mom is very fond of Elena."

"I know, she told me once that Elena is the type of girl to help me find the answers. That's all well and good but she's married, dad."

"That does put a damper on things. Have you had any contact with her since then?"

"No, I haven't."

"Your mother keeps in touch with her old friends. I know nothing, Damon, but maybe you should talk to her. Marriages end every day."

"I know that, dad. Believe it not, she mentioned rather casually that she didn't love him."

"Really? Look, Damon, I know you well enough to know that you would never have an affair but I also know that if there's even the slightest chance that she's single now, perhaps there's still an opportunity for you?"

"Perhaps," Damon agrees, kicking up sand as he walks along the beach beside his dad.

Looking towards the house when they hear a voice, Damon's dad chuckles, "Ah, there's your mother. Dinner must be ready."

Nodding, Damon whistles for Jake. Seconds later, he sees his dog bounding towards him. Laughing, he stoops down, getting bowled over when Jake runs into his arms.

* * *

Knowing full well that her husband is with another woman, Elena decides to catch him in the act. It says a lot about the state of her marriage when she can't even summon a smidgen of outrage. Her first clue was when she would catch fleeting whiffs of perfume on his clothes but the final confirmation was when she and Caroline decided to do a little sleuthing. Finding nothing the first couple of times, they hit pay dirt when they saw Jed leaving his office, hand in hand with the buxom blonde. The only thing Elena wants is a divorce. She has never given up her dream of having a child. Still young, it's not out of reach yet. If nothing else, she can always look into artificial insemination but she would prefer to give birth to the child of someone she loves, hopefully someone like _him_. Leaving the radio on so Buttons has some company, Damon's smooth rich voice starts to play the first single from his newest album. Stopping at the door, she listens to the words and without realizing it, gets lost in a memory.

 _"Please, Damon, sing something," Elena asks, batting her eyelids at him flirtatiously. It's karaoke night at the grill. After an extra little nudge of a promise for later, he finally relents. Standing up, Damon drops a kiss to her lips then steps on stage. Picking up the microphone, he waits for the music to start. Closing his eyes to feel the music pulsate through him, he starts to sing, his eyes not drifting from Elena's._

 _"When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long, And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong, Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows.. lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose," Damon croons._

 _When he finishes, everyone stands to give him a round of applause. As soon as he puts the microphone back in the stand and steps off of the stage, Elena is in his embrace, their mouth attached as they block out the rest of the crowd._

When she hears a car horn, she shakes out of her stupor just as Damon's voice fades out when the songs ends. Leaving a light on so she can see when Caroline brings her home, she rushes outside and jumps into her friends car. They're going to club that Jed likes to frequent, finding this out when they followed him and the woman that night. In all honesty, Caroline was more outraged by his philandering than Elena was. Too on edge to carry on a conversation, Elena practically leaps out of the car as soon as Caroline pulls into a parking spot. Together the two women go inside and ask for a table. As soon as the hostess seats them, Elena gets up to look around. When she zeroes in on her husband, nuzzling the other woman's neck, Elena takes a deep breath and marches over to the table, Caroline following directly behind her.

With his face in her neck, Jed doesn't notice that someone is staring at him. The girl's mouth gawps, too shocked to spit any words out. Clearing her throat, Jed says without looking up, "We'll order later."

"I don't think so, Jed," Elena retorts, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Elena!?" he sputters, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the woman he's with. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Bullshit!"

"Um, uh."

"Look Jed, all I want is a divorce," Elena adds, dropping the divorce papers on the table before turning and walking away. Although she's proud of herself, it still was a little nerve wracking to confront him like that. It feels good though, Elena thinks so herself, it feels real good. After she and Caroline leave the place, they drive home to Mystic Falls, pulling into the grill parking lot because Elena could use a stiff drink. Slipping her wedding ring off, she drops it in her bag. Marching to the bar, the women take a seat. Each ordering a shot of tequila, she tilts the shot glass, clinking it with Caroline's before swallowing it down.

"You okay, Elena?" Ric asks.

"Yep, I just caught Jed with his little girlfriend."

"What?!"

"He's been cheating for sometime, Ric. It just took us a while to catch him. And believe it not, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it either," she starts to say when she hears Damon's voice on the TV, announcing an upcoming concert in Richmond. Recognizing the name of the bar that he's going to be playing at, Elena is curious, wondering why Damon and his band will be at that out of the way place. It's a big bar with an elevated stage but it isn't a concert hall.

"Damon has done well for himself," Ric adds, sliding a Bloody Mary in front of each of the women.

"He has," Elena agrees. Suddenly struck with a brilliant idea, Elena turns on her stool to face Caroline blurting out, "Come with me to his concert."

* * *

Going through the sound check, Damon and his buddies are on stage, playing one of their new songs. Dropping his eyes, he starts to strum his guitar, starting to sing along as soon as he hits the right note. As Damon's voice begins wafting through the bar. Elena and Caroline are let in. Fortunately they got their tickets early enough to get seats near the front row. With his mind on his music, Damon doesn't pay attention to the gathering crowd. It's only when the last note of the song leaves his mouth that Damon looks up. Almost as if by magic, their eyes meet. In shock, Damon finishes the guitar riff to end the song. Without waiting another second, Damon hurries over to the stage manager, explaining to the man what he wants. Hidden now from Elena's view, she can't help but wonder why Damon disappeared. Before she even has a chance to pull her phone out of her bag, Caroline nudges her arm.

"Miss?"

Looking up when she hears the voice, Elena sees a member of the concert venue's security staring at her.

"Can I help you?" Elena asks, perplexed, her gaze darting back and forth between Caroline and the man.

"Mr. Salvatore would like you to come back stage."

"I'm here with my friend. I can't leave her."

"Okay, bring her along then," the man says, stepping back so she and Caroline can step out of their seats and into the aisle.

"I wonder what he wants," Elena whispers to Caroline as they follow the man backstage. Glancing at her watch, she sees that concert is scheduled to start in about twenty minutes. When they reach a short staircase, they continue to follow the man till he tells them to wait. They're behind one of the stage curtains. While pointing out a something to the rear of the stage, Damon approaches.

"Elena, hi," he greets her, pulling her into a quick hug when she extends her hand. "Damon, you remember Caroline don't you?"

"Yes, of course. It's good to see you too."

"To what do we owe the privilege of the backstage pass?" Elena asks, winking at him.

"It's just that..., I wanted to see you," Damon starts say, albeit a little tongue tied. He hasn't felt this nervous around a girl in a long time. But when he notices her bare left ring finger, a burst of heat and excitement fill his senses. "I was wondering if we could talk, Elena? After the concert I mean?"

"I'd like that, Damon."

"Listen, I need to take my place," he says, pausing for a minute to summon someone over with something to protect their ears. Taking her hand, he gives it a squeeze for good luck then walks over, picks up his guitar and greets the audience before launching into his first song, a cool cover of Queen's Somebody to Love. Elena and Caroline are totally into the music, dancing and swaying to each song.

One of the security people brings over a couple of folding chairs so they don't have to stand for the entire two hours. Between songs when it's quieter, Caroline leans close to Elena's ear, whispering, "What do you think he wants to talk to you about?"

"I have no idea, Care. I told you I saw him last year just before Christmas but that's the last I've seen him until tonight."

"I guess you'll find out later," Caroline adds, raising an eyebrow at her friend just as the music starts again. Finally another one of the band members announces that it's the last song. A collective "noooooooo," is chanted by the crowd. Stepping back up to the microphone, Damon motions for the crowd to quiet down. After thanking them, he ventures a glance at Elena, smiling as he does so. "I'd like to dedicate this song to a very old and dear friend of mine who's here tonight," he says, their eyes meeting once more before he adds, "This is for you, Elena."

 _"Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey. I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you."_ Strumming his guitar, Damon finishes the song, repeating, _"In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you."_

Stunned, Elena can only stare. But when he finishes the last note, Damon turns to face her once more and when their eyes meet, it's like all of what's been missing from her life, suddenly falls back into place.

* * *

 _Huge thanks to my sister, Eva. Love you girl with all of my heart._

 _Thank you so much for your response to this story. I cannot express how much it means to both Eva and I._

 _Chapter title and lyrics: 'At the Beginning' from Anastasia._

 _I posted a one-shot, "Someday At Christmas" on Friday. And another, "Christmas for Cowboys" on Sunday. Please give them a look. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them._ _I finished up another Christmas Story, "Run for the Roses". Watch for it to post. "I Can't Escape Myself" and "Through the Fire and Flames" are both still in progress. I also plan to participate in what's probably the last year of the DE A2A Annual Christmas Exchange on Live Journal._

 _Have a safe and wonderful day and we'll see you the next time._


	3. Where Are You Christmas

Immediately after Damon ends the song, the crowd erupts with applause. Standing up, he and his bandmates take a bow and walk off of the stage. The kids are going nuts, trying to charge the stage to reach the guys. She and Caroline watch as security moves in to disperse the crowd.

"Good crowd tonight," Damon mentions, walking up to her. Looking up, Elena almost feels breathless at the sight of him. Beads of perspiration are all over his forehead, his hair damp and messy. Even his tee shirt is tacky with sweat, revealing his very fine form.

"It was, you guys were great," Elena adds, "don't you agree, Caroline?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Thanks, ladies. Um.. listen, would you like to go for a coffee or something to eat?"

"We'd love to wouldn't we, Elena?" Caroline interrupts, eyeing her friend.

"Where should we meet?" Damon asks, raking his hand through his damp hair.

"The truck stop on the outskirts of town has really good food. Do you remember where it is, Damon?"

"Barney's right?"

"That's it. You used to love their hot roast beef sandwiches."

"Yes, they were so good that I wanted to lick my plate," he laughs. "How about we meet there in forty five minutes or so? I'd like to shower first."

"That sounds perfect, doesn't it, Elena?" Although she wants to smack, Caroline, she just nods her head all the while keeping a smile on her face.

"Great, okay then. I'll see you ladies soon." Smiling tentatively, Damon starts to walk away but he can't seem to control the skip in his step. Reaching the back door of the club, he turns around just at the same time Elena does. When their eyes meet from across the room it's like it's only the two of them. When someone bumps into her, Elena looks away, breaking the spell. When she looks back, the door he was standing at is closed. Excited and anxious at the same time, Elena nudges Caroline in the ribs with her elbow.

"What were you thinking?"

"He's interested in you. Surely you can see that?"

"Caroline, I just served my husband with divorce papers. And besides, as famous as he is, he can have any girl he wants. Did you see all those young girls practically swooning when he started shaking hands?"

"They're not you, Elena. I'm telling you that he's interested."

"We'll see. Come on, we better go if we're going to meet him."

"Yep," Caroline agrees, popping the P. Linking her arm with Elena's the two ladies leave the building to find her car.

* * *

As soon as they arrive at the truck stop, they take a booth, Caroline sitting opposite of Elena. Giving her a wink, Elena rolls her eyes, knowing exactly what Caroline was up to. She and Damon came to this place a couple of times after attending concerts. There was one Avenged Sevenfold concert in particular that Damon was so pumped about, he could hardly sit still that whole evening. The waitress comes over, pours them each a cup of coffee and hands them menus before walking away to fill the cups at another table. With her face buried in the menu, she doesn't notice Damon till he slides in beside her.

"The place hasn't changed at all," he laughs, thanking the waitress when she fills his cup.

"You still clean up nicely, Damon," Elena mentions, smiling at him. When she uses her left hand push a strand of hair behind her ear, Damon again notices her bare left hand. More than anything he hopes it means she's available and not just that she didn't wear her wedding band tonight.

"You're doing really well for yourself, Damon. I suppose your parents are very proud of you?" Caroline asks, adding a little sugar to her coffee.

"Yeah, I try to get home at least every couple of months. And the threat of death usually gets me home for Christmas," he laughs, taking a swallow of his coffee.

"When do you play again?"

"We're playing tomorrow night in Atlanta. I'm going to take off later tonight."

"We're not keeping you are we?" Elena asks, looking a little unsettled.

"No, no, I wanted to be here. After Atlanta, we go to Jacksonville and then we're taking the rest of January off. My buddy, our guitarist, Brady, his wife is due mid January and rightly so, he doesn't want to miss the big event."

"What are you going to do with your time off?" Caroline asks. Just as he's about to answer, the waitress shows to take their orders. After telling her what he wants, Damon excuses himself to use the bathroom. As soon as he's out of earshot, Elena asks, "What are you doing?"

"He's still hung up on you. Can't you see that?"

"Caroline, don't be silly, I already told you that he can have his pick from any bombshell he wants. With all these Lolita's to choose from, why on earth would he want me?"

"Stop selling yourself short. You're a beautiful woman and you know it, Elena. Plus you're not an air-headed teenager with a crush. You have a history with him. And besides he doesn't want any bombshell, he clearly is interested in you." Not wanting to argue with her, Elena reaches for her coffee cup again. Suddenly a collective gasp captures her attention. When she turns to see what it is, she sees that Damon has been surrounded by a bunch of young people. Turning around, she sets her cup down and gets up to use the bathroom herself. Slipping past the crowd of kids, she doesn't look up at Damon but she swears she can feel his eyes drilling holes in the back of her head. As soon as she steps inside, she walks over to the sink. Staring at herself in the mirror, she looks at her empty ring finger and hopes that what Caroline is saying about him is true.

By the time she walks back to the table, Damon is visiting with Caroline. Ever the gentleman, when he sees her, he gets up so she can slide in. Almost immediately after Elena is seated, the waitress shows up with their food. Damon lowers his nose, breathing in the aroma of roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy. Picking up his fork, he takes a bite, moaning embarrassingly when the flavors burst on his tongue. "I don't know how it's possible but this is even better than I remember," Damon mumbles, taking another bite. Laughing, Elena picks up her cheeseburger to take a bite.

"What are you going to do during your month off?" Caroline asks, a dollop of ketchup off the corner of her mouth.

"Um, yeah, about that.. I was kind of thinking about spending a little time in Mystic Falls?"

"Really?" Elena asks, taking a big swallow from her water glass.

"Yes, I'd like to spend a little time with you unless. God, I sound horrible," Damon adds, dropping his eyes and putting just enough distance between them so their legs are no longer touching.

"Why would you say that?" Elena asks, tilting her head just slightly.

"I was just so excited to see you, I forgot that you were married."

"No, Damon! Elena is divorcing Jed," Caroline adds, signaling the waitress for some more coffee.

"Really?"

Atlhough feeling a little disgruntled with Caroline for just blurting it out, Elena nods, then joins her eyes with his.

"I'm sorry, Elena."

"Don't be. We haven't had a marriage for a very long time." Feeling emboldened by the way his eyes momentarily darken, Elena adds, "I'd like to spend some time with you too."

Immediately an ear to ear grin lights up his beautiful face. Without even letting a millisecond pass, he slides back over so their legs are again touching. As usual, she feels the pops and crackles and surge of electricity that she's always felt in his presence. With the hard stuff out of the way, the three of them continue to visit for another hour or so till one of Damon's bandmates approaches their booth.

"Ladies, this is my friend, Brady. Brady, this is Elena and this is Caroline. We grew up together in Mystic Falls."

"It's nice to meet you both," Brady says, shaking each of their hands. "I'm sorry to interrupt Damon but we need to get on the road."

"Sure, I'll be right out." After giving Damon a subtle nod, Brady disappears out of the door.

"Can I have your phone number, Elena? That way I can let you know when I'll be in town." With a smile, she pulls it out of her purse, handing it to him. Quickly, he punches his phone number in and then calls his own phone so he has it. Standing up, he drops a few bills on the table to pay the bill.

"We'll walk out with you. We need to head home too." Damon steps back so Elena can get out of the booth. After they all slip their coats on, they walk outside. Caroline points to their car which is in the back of the parking lot. Brady is standing in the door of their tour bus, motioning with his hand for Damon to hurry up.

"I'll be there as soon as I walk the ladies to their car," he tells him, then follows alongside the women. As soon as Caroline unlocks it, she thanks him for the meal then gets inside, unlocking the doors so Elena can crawl into the passenger side. Damon walks around the car with her, pulling the door open. Just before she ducks to get in, Damon leans forward to drop a kiss to her cheek before whispering that he's very much looking forward to getting to know her all over again.

"Bye," she whispers, sliding into her seat. Caroline starts the engine and starts to back out. While Damon watches the car pull away, Elena looks out the back window, staring till Caroline pulls out onto the highway for the drive home.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Damon that evening, Elena spends a lot of time in her store. Jed has been calling incessantly. Although she hasn't been happy in a very long time and she rather doubts that he's been either but still, he shouldn't have cheated on her. He should've have had the courage to ask her for a divorce. Elena can't even muster the strength to hate him. There was a time when she loved him after all. Despite her misgivings, Elena did agree to spend Christmas with Jed. Neither one of them really wanted to be alone anyway. If Caroline and Tyler hadn't flown to New York City for the holiday, Elena would've spent Christmas with them. When her mind drifts to Damon, she feels a little uneasy. Is he really going to come or will he come up with some excuse to not show up? Rather than dwell on it, Elena squares her shoulders and goes out into the family room. Jed is stooped down in front of the fireplace, using the poker to stoke the fire.

"You look very pretty tonight, Elena."

"Thank you," she acknowledges, sitting on the floor in front of the tree. Moments later, Jed crawls over, sitting on the floor beside her. Leaning over, he presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Don't Jed. I'd like us to have a nice and civil Christmas. Please don't push me or I'll leave." Nodding he takes the present that she offers, pulling the paper off to reveal the cologne that she bought him. Taking the cap lid off, he puts it to his nose, breathing in the unique scent.

"Nice. Thank you, Elena." Not saying anything, she hands him another. The former lovers open the rest of their presents while making small talk. Just as she's about to stand up to throw the wrapping paper away, Jed reaches for her arm, pulling her back down.

"What is it, Jed?"

"Just this," he says, handing her a little box. As soon as she sees the box, Elena sighs, her eyes meeting his.

"What did you do?" she asks when she unwraps the small box. Opening it up, Elena feels a surge of anger shoot through her body when she looks at the huge diamond solitaire.

"I want us to start over, Elena. I don't want a divorce. I'm sorry that I cheated on you. It won't happen again. Will you give me another chance?"

"Oh no, we are not doing this. The only thing that you're sorry about is that you got caught. And no, I won't give you another chance, Jed. It's over, I'm done. We don't have to hate each other but if you persist, that's how this will end. I don't want that. I just want to move on and live my life."

"Elena, at least think about it. Look at the life I give you. You want for nothing."

"I don't care. There's more to life than material things. Now either this ends right now or you're going to have to leave."

"Fine," he snaps. Flying to his feet, he grabs his coat and hat and before stalking over to the door, yanking it open as soon as he puts his hand on the knob. Before walking out, he turns around long enough to give Elena a scathing look before slamming the door shut so hard that the windows rattle. Angry at him but proud of herself for not losing her cool, Elena pours herself a glass of wine then snuggles on the couch with a fleecy blanket to watch a holiday movie.

* * *

Feeling unsettled, Damon continues to jog along the beach, Jake running beside him. Pounding the sand literally, he continues till his chest is heaving. Dropping onto the sand, he buries his face in his knees for a few moments. Although it scares the shit out of him, he knows he wants to be with Elena. Yet he feels a deep sense of fear and unease, fear that she'll change her mind about her divorce, leaving him to nurse a broken heart. Needing the tactile stimulation, Damon digs his hands into the sand, enjoying the feel as grains squeeze through the spaces between fingers. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is calming. The sky is bright and beautiful today, the blue sky is intense with only a few wispy clouds. Sometimes he misses the white Christmases of his youth. When Jake shakes out his fur on him for the umpteenth time, Damon laughs then starts to ruffle his hair. After playing with the dog a little longer, Damon and Jake run back to his parents home. As soon as he gets into the house, Damon walks to his dad's study. Gripping the knob, he turns it, peeking his head in.

"Dad, can I have your ear for a few minutes?"

"Of course, come on in. Shut the door and have a seat."

Nodding Damon does what he asks then sits down in front of his dad's ornate, mahogany desk. Uncharacteristically anxious, Damon drops his face into his hands, threading his fingers through his hair. After several moments pass, he looks up, his eyes flashing around to all the landmarks in this room. There are family pictures on one of the shelves behind his desk, books filling the other ones. The TV is playing the Cary Grant version of "The Bishop's Wife."

"You still love this movie don't you?" Damon asks, a smile forming on his face.

"You do too," he adds, playfully raising an eyebrow at his son. "And who doesn't love Cary Grant?"

"Touche'," Damon laughs, his eyes drifting to the old black and white movie on the TV.

After turning the volume down, he turns back to Damon. "Now why don't you tell me what's troubling you."

"When the guys and I played that club in Richmond last week, I ran into Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes. We all met up at the truck stop afterwards for something to eat. Apparently she's divorcing her husband."

"Really? And you want to spend some time with her, am I right?"

"Yeah, but am I being pie in the sky, dad? A part of me wants nothing more than to spend some time with her but the other part is afraid that she'll run back to the guy."

"Well, Damon, did she tell you that she was divorcing?"

"No, Caroline Forbes did. God, dad, I just don't know what to do. I told her that I would come to Mystic Falls after our shows in Jacksonville on New Years. What do I do?"

"Do you want to get to know her again because from my vantage point, you seem pretty smitten?"

"Yeah, I am. She's the only girl that I've ever felt sparks with. She's smart and successful and..," he starts to say, shaking his head in awe. "She's only gotten even more beautiful if that's at all possible."

"If you want my advice, I say go for it. Yes, it may not turn out the way you want it to but if you don't go, you'll lose this chance. And if that were to happen, I'm afraid you'd always live with the what if's."

"You're right, dad. I don't have anything with her now, so it's not like I have anything to lose by slinking away."

"Exactly. Now, should we go see if your mom needs help with Christmas dinner?"

"Let's. Thanks a lot," Damon says to his dad, their eyes meeting for a few seconds before he gets up and walks out of the room, his dad following close behind.

* * *

After spending a wonderful Christmas with his family, Damon had two concerts one in Jacksonville and one in Miami, both of which were sold out. After allowing himself a day to rest and wind down, he talked to Elena to make sure it was still okay for him to come to visit her. When she enthusiastically said yes, he told her that he'd leave for Mystic Falls as soon as he's rested up.

As he drives down the highway, Damon is glad that the weather is holding up. He'd hate to be delayed by some adverse weather event. Just after crossing into South Carolina, he pulls into a gas station to fill up and to get a huge cup of coffee. Once he's back on the highway, his eyes start to get heavy. Rolling down the window to let cold air blow into his face, he shivers but he doesn't want to have an accident either.

By the time he nears the North Carolina border, he runs into a thick wall of fog. With visibility so poor, Damon decides for safety's sake that he should get off of the road till morning. Fortunately he doesn't have to drive long till he comes upon a motel. Since the fog is so heavy, the visibility barely a car length, he's nearly at the entrance before he even sees the place. Pulling in, he runs into the office to rent a room for overnight. As soon as he showers and changes into a pair of pajamas, Damon pulls back the covers and lays down to call Elena so she doesn't think that he has changed his mind. Damon is a little anxious, given all the fog, he could wake up to a lot of snow.

" _Hello?"_

"Elena, hi. It's Damon."

 _"Hi, Damon."_

"I just wanted to tell you that I had to get a motel room. I ran into a patch of thick fog. The visibility is horrible, too dangerous to keep driving. I'm sorry, I really wanted to see you tonight."

 _"Please don't apologize. I'd rather you get here in one piece. I'm looking forward to seeing you too."_

"I don't suppose I could ask you to call Mrs. Flowers to see if she has a room for me for a few days?"

 _"Of course. Listen, Damon, as much as I'd like to keep talking to you, Caroline is banging at my door. Give me a call in the morning before you take off will you?_

"I will. And Elena, thank you for agreeing to let me see you again."

 _"You're welcome. We'll see you tomorrow sometime. Goodnight, Damon."_

"Night, Elena," Damon says, holding on till he hears her click off the phone. After setting the alarm on it, he sets it down at his bedside, then snuggle in to watch some TV. It isn't long before his eyes drift shut, once again, it's her who stars in his dreams.

 _As soon as Elena slips on her life jacket and steps into the canoe, Damon pushes it into the water then hops in. Taking the oars, he begins to row. Damon doesn't miss the way Elena is checking out his strong muscular arms as they bulge and tighten with each stroke. Shaking off a shudder of lust, he watches as she looks around, obviously taken by the scenery along the water way. The trees are green and lush. Wild flowers dot the banks. When they hear a splashing sound, Elena looks up just in time to see another fish breach the water. He watches as she breathes in the smell of fresh air and green grass when a gust of wind whips though her chestnut hair._

 _Smiling, Damon stops rowing for a minute to lean forward. Twisting one hand in her hair, he pulls her forward to join their mouths in a sizzling kiss. When a crow starts cawing loudly, Damon pulls back with a laugh. Looking around again, Damon knits his eyebrows curiously when her mouth falls wide open. "What is it?"_

 _"Look at all the cattails and reeds that are hugging the banks. I want one," she squeals, pointing to the water's edge. Laughing, he picks up the oars again and after dropping another quick kiss to the tip of her nose. Damon steers the canoe close enough for her to reach one. Pulling his jack knife out of his pocket, he hands it to her. Smiling widely at him, Elena blurts out, "I love you, Damon." Feeling like he's ten feet tall and full of vim and vigor, he yells aloud for all the birds and fish and bugs to hear, "I love you too."_

Suddenly the sound of sirens break the quiet awakening Damon. Sitting upright in bed, he reaches for his phone, checking the time. Sitting upright, he rubs the sleep out of his eyes, sits long enough to get his land legs on then goes into the bathroom to get ready to go. It's early yet but the sooner he gets on the road, the sooner he'll see Elena again. A part of him can't help but wonder if this is all a fool's errand. Although anxious, Damon knows full well that he still loves Elena. Maybe that's why he's never been able to move on with anyone else? Maybe that's the reason the specter of her has filled almost all of his waking moments. Even though he knows that she may reject him, he also knows that if he doesn't at least try, he'll regret it for a very long time. Finally getting out of bed, Damon walks over to the look out of the window, breathing a sigh of relief when he sees that the sky is clear today. Even though there's some snow on the ground, it only looks to be a couple of inches. Yawning, Damon pulls some clean clothes out of his bag then disappears into the bathroom.

* * *

Putting her coffee cup to her mouth, Elena takes a sip. "Damon called me last evening. He should be here sometime today."

"I'm excited for you," Caroline says happily, giving Elena's hands a squeeze.

"I'm excited but I'm scared too," Elena admits, her eyes never leaving Caroline's.

"It's going to be fine, Elena. Just be yourself. He probably needs some reassurance that you're not going to run back to Jed though."

"No, no way. No matter what happens with Damon, I'm not going back to my marriage. It's irretrievably broken," Elena adds, looking outside the store window when she hears some birds chirping. "I need to look for a place to live, do you want to help me?"

"Need you ask?" Caroline laughs, taking a swallow of her own coffee. Since Christmas is over for another year, they haven't had many people in the store the last couple of days. Now that it's the new year, business will pick up again. It's always been a little slow in the days after Christmas. Maybe next year, Elena will just close the store for the week between Christmas and New Years.

"I'd like to find a small house that I can afford. I don't want anything from him other than my freedom. I hope I can find something in my price range."

"Have you looked up any of the Mystic Falls realtors online?"

"Not really. I mean I like my house, I've always liked it but I think I need a fresh start in every way. Jed and I haven't lived as man and wife for a couple of years already. Yes, we slept in the same bed and although we both took from each other, we really didn't talk you know? I'm not sad about any of this, Caroline. I don't think I'll ever forgive him for not telling me that he didn't want children under any circumstances. You know that I've always wanted to be a mother and I did try to make it work, I've tried for six years now."

"I know, Elena. You don't have to justify yourself to me. I know that you've tried to make this work despite his duplicity. A lot of women would've left him immediately but you hung in there. You're a stronger person than me because I would've hauled off and divorced his ass in the time it takes to blink."

"Thanks, Caroline," Elena says, smiling at her friend. Looking outside, she really doesn't see much of anyone downtown. "Let's close up. No one is coming in today anyone. It's costing me more to stay open."

"Good idea. Is Damon going to stay with you?"

"He asked me to call Mrs. Flowers but her bed and breakfast is booked up. I had to get him a room at the Inn on highway seventy nine. It's only a couple of miles outside of town and it has that really nice restaurant and lounge. He should be comfortable there. I texted him to let him know."

"He's going to call you when he gets to town?"

"That's the plan," she replies, handing Caroline her coat before slipping into her own. The two women then step outside, Elena pausing to lock the place up. After giving Care a hug, Elena gets in her car to drive home, her mind full of all things Damon.

 _"Walk me to my class?"_

 _"Of course, baby," Damon agrees, reaching into his locker to pull out his history book. Turning, he drops a kiss to her hair then snaps the padlock shut on his locker. Extending his palm, Elena smiles, lacing her fingers with his. They walk down the hall towards her Trig class._

 _"Hey guys," Caroline squeals when she and Tyler run into them in the hall. Elena and Caroline exchange quick hugs before she and Damon walk away. Just as they reach the classroom, Damon pulls her into the janitor's closet so quickly, she barely realized what's happened. Locking it, he drops his things, cradles her face and pulls her mouth to his in a bone melting kiss. Needing more, Elena shoves her tongue into the warm hot cavern of his mouth. He tastes like little peppermint and Juicy Fruit gum. Not one to back down, Damon tangles his with hers till their chests are both heaving from lack of oxygen. When someone starts to rattle the doorknob, Elena giggles. To shut her up, Damon captures her lips again, they slip and slide and mold together perfectly. As soon as they break apart again, they hear footsteps walking away. Damon picks up their things and then he stealthily peaks out. Seeing that the coast is clear, he takes her hand, letting go only when they reach her destination._

As soon as Elena arrives home, she goes into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Once it's done, she finds the remote, turns on an old romance and then cuddles on the couch. Just as she's on the edge between wake and sleep, the doorbell rings startling her awake. Shaking off her stupor, she sits up and stretches. As soon as she's on her feet, she walks to the front door. Peaking through the peephole, Elena's mouth drops open. Immediately she pulls the door open, a smile already forming on her face, "Damon?"

* * *

 _Huge thank you to my sister and best friend Eva. I love you dearly._

 _A big thanks to all of you for the reviews. I'm in awe and appreciate everyone of you._

 _Chapter title: "Where Are You Christmas" by Faith Hill._

 _I posted my one shot for this year's LJ A2A exchange. It's based on a prompt by jaybunzy0. It's called "Wind Beneath My Wings". I'd for you to have a look and leave a review. "Run for the Roses", "ICEM", and "TTFAF" are still in progress. I have another one-shot that I'm planning to post Tuesday._

 _Please remember to review. They mean so much to me._

 _I hope you all have an amazing day. Thank you all again and we'll see you next weekend with chapter 4._


	4. Start Again

Stunned doesn't begin to cover it when Elena sees him standing in front of her. It's obvious that he hasn't shaved in a few days. Although the scruff peppering his face does wicked things to her lady parts, Elena knows that they need to have a conversation before anything else happens between them. When she feels Caroline give her a nudge, it snaps her out of her stupor.

"I'm sorry, come on in," she says, stepping aside to let him walk into her house.

"I hope you don't mind. I ran into the grill to ask where you live. I just wanted to let you know that I got here safely."

"I'm glad you did," Elena tells him, pushing the door closed. "Have you had some supper? Are you hungry?"

"A little bit but I'll get something at the motel. I won't stay long, I need to get out there and check in before they give my reservation away. Thank you for that, Elena."

Smiling, she gestures for him to follow her and Caroline into the living room. Taking a seat, Elena clasps her hands together nervously. The man's presence alone is making her thighs clench. It's been since high school that she's felt anything similar. Hoping that he wants what she wants, Elena asks him about his drive since the two of them can't really have a deep conversation with Caroline as a bystander.

"I can make you a sandwich if you're hungry?"

"That's okay, Elena. I'm more tired than anything else. I really just wanted to check in with you and see if maybe we could do something tomorrow. A movie, a walk? If we had warmer weather, I'd rent a canoe for us but that's out of the question."

"Let's go ice skating. There's an outdoor rink in Fell's Church. It's just like the one in the original version of 'The Bishop's Wife'."

"That's a brilliant idea, Elena. I haven't gone skating since high school. Remember, we took Stefan with us cause he wanted to learn how to skate?"

"I do. That was a fun day," she says, her mind drifting back in time.

" _Come on, Stefan, you can do it," Elena encourages. Damon has his brother's arm linked with his on his left while Elena is holding tight to his right arm. On skates for the first time, Stefan is wobbly and fearful. Slowly the three of them hug the edge of the rink so they're not in anyone's way. Slowly but surely, Stefan gets a little more confident. First Damon lets go, leaving just her and Stefan to navigate the rink. When Stefan starts shuffle, Damon hurries over, latching onto his brother's arm once more. Slowly, he gets more confident so Damon lets go again. After giving her a subtle nod, Elena skates a few more feet with Stefan and then lets go herself. Smiling when she feels him lace his fingers with hers, Elena gives his a squeeze, the two of them following behind his brother._

 _Suddenly someone much more skilled than the three of them, skates by bumping into Stefan. Hurrying over to him, Damon grabs one arm but before she reaches them, both of them are flailing their arms trying to balance. In the time it takes her to reach them, they're both sitting on their asses on the ice, laughing hysterically. Shaking her head, Elena stoops over to plant a kiss on Damon's lips. The next thing she knows, she on top of him, laughing right along with the guys._

"Elena?"

"Sorry. I was just remembering that day. I was sore for days," Elena laughs, her eyes meeting a smiling Damon's.

"I need to get going so I can check in at the motel. I'll call you in the morning, Elena. And it was nice seeing you again, Caroline," Damon says. Standing up, he zips up his leather jacket then walks to the door. Just as he puts his hand on the knob, Elena lays her hand on his arm.

"Thanks for coming over. I'm glad you're here, Damon."

"I'm glad I'm here too." Taking a chance, Damon leans forward just enough to press a kiss on her cheek. When their eyes meet, he gives her another smile then disappears through the front door.

* * *

When he hears a banging on his motel room door, Damon lazily opens his eyes. After taking a few seconds to get his wits about him, he throws his legs over the side of the bed. Rubbing his face with his hands, Damon takes a breath, drags himself out of bed and walks over to the door. Ready to lambaste whoever woke him up, Damon deflates immediately when he sees that it's her.

"Elena?"

Seeing Damon standing in front of her with only his boxer briefs on sends a shiver of something up her spine. 'Keep your attention on his face', Elena says to herself. Scurrying towards the bed, he quickly throws his robe on. "You surprised me yesterday so I thought I'd return the favor."

"I'm glad you did, I'm just surprised is all. Have you had breakfast?"

"No, I thought we could get stop on our way to the skating rink?"

"Sounds good, babe," Damon mumbles, pulling jeans and an Eddie Bauer chamois shirt out of his suitcase. With a wink, he steps into the bathroom and vanishes from her sight. Having nothing to do but wait, Elena walks over to look outside of the window. Although it's cold outside, it's not bitter and the sun is shining. Even though Elena herself hasn't skated in quite some time, she is excited to go again with Damon. Smiling to herself, she looks up when she hears the bathroom door open, Damon reappearing. The man is very nicely put together, she thinks, smiling back when he levels her with one of his panty dropping ones.

"You ready?" he asks, slipping his coat on.

"I am."

"Lead the way," Damon says, following Elena out of his room. After pausing long enough to make sure the door is locked, he walks beside Elena, getting into the passenger seat as soon as she unlocks the door. "Nice car," Damon mentions, running his hand along the dashboard of her BMW.

"Thanks. My husband thought he could placate me with material things," Elena mentions, looking over her shoulder as she backs out of the parking space.

"Really?"

"I loved Jed once, I did marry him. But you see, he didn't bother telling me that he was adverse to having children. He never mentioned that under no circumstances did he ever want kids until we had a scare. I was livid to say the least but we'd only been married about a year and I wasn't ready to admit defeat yet."

"I'm sorry, Elena. You'll be an amazing mom someday," he says, his eye meeting hers for a moment before she turns her attention back to the road ahead. .

"Why did you really want to see me, Damon?"

"Ah, the elephant in the room," he mentions, their eyes joining for another quick glance. "I hope you don't think I'm insane but since we saw each other this time last year, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I've tried, believe me I've tried because I knew you weren't available. But Elena, it didn't work. No one sets my blood on fire the way you do. And when I saw you again at the concert, I didn't see the ring on your finger and I remembered that you said that you didn't love him," Damon adds, raking his hand through his raven colored locks.

"I thought that maybe if there was even the slightest chance for us, I had to seize it. Because I know this, Elena, I would regret it till my dying day if hadn't at least tried. But I promise you that if you tell me that you want to be with him, I'll disappear and not darken your doorstep ever again. I just want you to be happy. The magic that was always between us, it still burns hot inside of me. Do you still feel it?"

"Damon, of course I feel it."

"Oh thank, Christ," Damon adds, relaxing visibly. Noticing that her arm is laying on the center counsel, her hand hanging freely, he picks it up, pressing a kiss to each of her fingertips. "Do you think that you would consider giving us a chance? I want this, Elena. I want it more than anything I've ever wanted."

"The ink isn't even dry on my divorce papers yet, Damon. But if you're willing to take things slowly, one day at a time, then yes, I want to be with you too. I need to know your feelings on children though. Because I won't be with someone else who doesn't want kids."

"With you, yes, yes. I would love to have a little version of us running around. If we make this work, we can have all the babies that you want. You have my word."

"Oh Damon," Elena whispers, a huge smile forming on her face. Feeling a shiver run through her, she swallows thickly. Watching the road ahead, she exits off the interstate when they come upon the Fells Church exit. Slowing down, she drives until they get to a truck stop. Since they have good food and neither she nor Damon have had breakfast despite the fact that it's nearing eleven in the morning already. After parking the car, they get out. Damon walks around to her side and offers his hand. Nodding at the gesture, she laces her fingers with his, together they walk into the restaurant and wait to be seated.

* * *

After they eat, Elena drives them right over to the skating rink. Surprisingly there are a decent number of people that had the same idea. Taking his hand, Elena leads them to the entrance. Stopping to pay their fee, the man points out the skate rental area. As soon as they both have their ice skates laced up, Damon offers his hand again. With a smile she takes it and the two of them skate onto the ice. Hearing the Jurassic Park theme play over the speakers, Damon leans in saying, "I love that music."

Laughing, Elena nods her head. "I do too." Seeing that he is a little rusty on the blades, Elena lets go of his hand and waves goodbye, leaving him to fend for himself. Chuckling to himself, he starts out slowly till he starts to get the hang of it again. Having lived in Florida for the last several years, he really hasn't had the inkling to go skating. Suddenly someone bumps into him, sending him sprawling on the floor. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he slowly gets up. Feeling a bit dizzy, he shuffles his way over to the edge, grabbing on so he won't go down again. Looking around for Elena, he's mesmerized by her effortless grace on the rink. Damon tries to remember if she ever mentioned taking skating lessons when she was a kid.

Startling when he feels the gentle touch of a hand on his arm, Damon smiles when he realizes that it's her. So lost in thought, he didn't even realize that she had closed the distance between them. "I saw you go down, are you okay?"

"I am now that you're back," Damon teases. Moving to stand in front of him, she takes each of his hands in hers and leads him onto the ice. In moments, it's like they're the only people in the rink, their gaze not drifting off of each other. After they skate through a few songs, they step off of the ice to sit down for awhile.

"Can I take you to dinner tonight?"

"I'd like that," she says, taking a swallow from her Styrofoam coffee cup. Taking one of his own, Damon is giddy as a school boy.

"What?" Elena asks when she sees a smile forming on his face at the same as he drops his eyes to his own coffee cup. Raising them, Damon looks at her and then looks around the atmosphere. It's an outdoor rink, reminiscent of the one from the old Cary Grant movie that Elena mentioned. Trees are surrounding it and the atmosphere is one of merriment. With his free hand, he takes hers, giving it a squeeze.

"You've just made me the happiest guy on the planet, that's all," Damon teases. As a beaming smile forms on her own face, Elena leans in at the same time he does, their lips meeting in a frenzied kiss. When he pushes a little closer, his coffee cup tips over, spilling onto his jeans. Damon is so lost in kissing her, that he barely notices that his jeans are wet. Finally pulling apart, Elena can't help but laugh when she points at the wet spot on his crouch.

"Why don't we go back to my motel so I can change and then we can do whatever you want to do, Miss Elena."

"I'd like that a lot. After putting their shoes back on and turning in their skates, they hop back in Elena's car to go back to his motel. Hand in hand, they enter the lobby, laughing at something funny that they heard on the radio. Paying attention only to themselves, Elena stops when Jed steps right in front of her.

"Hello, Elena."

"Jed, what are you doing here?" Elena asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm here for a lunch meeting. Mr. Jensen, this is my wife, Elena."

"Hello. Your husband has told me so much about you," the man says, eyeing her and Damon warily.

Not letting go of Damon's hand, Elena adds in a confident voice, "We're separated and divorcing, Mr. Jensen. Now if you two will excuse us, we'll be leaving." Eyeing her husband for a moment, she looks away when she feels Damon squeeze her hand. Looking up, she gives him a nod just before he pulls open the door to the stairwell, both of them disappearing up the flight of stairs. Seething, Jed shifts topics to the business he's here to discuss with Mr. Jensen.

* * *

After spending the rest of the afternoon in his room, just talking and getting more fully reacquainted, Damon walks her out to her car. She's going to go home so she can change into something more appropriate for their evening out. When she's seated in the car, Damon stoops down between the open door and the car. "I don't want you to go."

"You're picking me up in a couple of hours. You'll survive," she teases. Before he stands, Damon edges forward, ensnaring her lips once more. Even though he's kissed her about a hundred times already this afternoon, he knows it'll never be enough. Standing up, he pushes her door closed. Backing up, she rolls down her window for a moment, tells him goodbye then pulls onto the highway. Damon watches till she disappears when the road curves to go back to Mystic Falls.

Feeling giddy and excited, Elena puts on her headpiece when she has to halt at a stop light. Quickly dialing Caroline, she looks in the rearview mirror and rolls her eyes when the car behind her starts to honk. Stepping on the gas, she continues the drive home.

"Hi Elena."

"Caroline, you'll never believe what happened. Damon and I went skating. When we finished, I drove him back to his motel. We were going to his room so we could talk and guess who just happened to be there with a client?"

"No!?"

"Yes, we ran right into Jed. He was with a male client but the look he leveled at Damon was scathing."

"You're not having second thoughts are you?"

"No, no, of course not. Damon wants to be with me, Care. You were right."

"Of course I was. I told you that he was completely over the moon for you."

"But what about his career, Caroline? I don't want to be the leftovers."

"You won't.. not with him but talk to him if you're worried. He'll find a way, I'm certain of it."

"I hope you're right. Listen, I'm just pulling into the driveway. Damon is taking me out tonight."

"Do you want me to run over and help?"

"Honestly, yes, I could use the moral support."

"I'll be there in a half hour or so."

"Bye, Caroline," Elena adds, hanging up the phone. Getting out of the car, she pulls her house key out, unlocks her door and goes inside. Setting her purse on the kitchen counter, she opens the refrigerator, reaching in to grab a bottle of water. When she stands up, her free hand flies over her now thundering heart. "You scared me," she gasps, placing a little distance between them. "And what are you doing here, Jed?"

"It didn't take you long to find someone else?"

"Someone else? I've known Damon for a hell of a lot longer than I've known you," Elena points out, taking a swallow of her water.

"I thought he looked familiar. He's the singer right?"

"What of it?"

"What makes you think he's going to settle down for the likes of you?"

"Who said anything about settling down? We're just getting reacquainted, we hadn't seen each other in years. And besides, it's no longer your business, Jed. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower."

"Mark my words, Elena. I'll give it six months for you to come to your senses."

"Jed, it's over, we're over. Now please leave," Elena asks, pulling the kitchen door open. Although she can see that he's angry, he glares at her for several seconds before disappearing out of the door.

* * *

Once Caroline shows up, she helps Elena with her hair and makeup. Finishing with a spritz of perfume, Elena takes one more look in the mirror. The lace overlay of her black cocktail dress glides across her backside when she turns around to look at herself again. With the boat shaped neckline accentuated with the lace, she doesn't need any jewelry other than earrings. After slipping into her black Louboutin pumps, Elena grabs her clutch and walks downstairs to let Caroline give her the once over before she leaves to pick up Damon. As soon as she steps into the kitchen, Caroline whistles, bringing a smile to Elena's face.

"You look fabulous," Caroline remarks, walking around her to get the 360 degree view of her best friend. "You're going to knock Damon off of his feet."

"I hope so. But I'm not going there tonight."

"Elena, it's been some time hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has but that's okay. I want to be wooed and courted and the whole nine yards."

"And I bet you're going to get it. Go at whatever pace is comfortable for you. He's going to be speechless when he sees you. What's that perfume? It's very nice," Caroline adds, giving her a nod of approval.

"It's Maison Margiela 'Lazy Sunday Morning'. I love it."

"I do too, I may have to pick myself up a bottle of that the next time we go to Sephora."

"I look forward to it, Care. Glancing at the wall clock, Elena takes a breath. "It's time to go. Wish me luck."

"My fingers are crossed. I'll lock up the house. Call me when you get home."

"I will. Thanks for everything," Elena adds, giving her friend a peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome, you know I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye now." After sharing one more look with her best friend, Elena slips her jacket on and walks outside. Feeling a chill, she quickly jumps into her car. Turning on the ignition, she flicks the heater on, fastens her seatbelt. As soon as she backs out of the driveway, she glances towards her kitchen window. Seeing Caroline waving at her puts a smile on her face. 'Here goes nothing', Elena thinks to herself, shifts into the correct gear and then drives towards Damon and perhaps her future happiness.

* * *

Swallowing back her nerves, Elena knocks on Damon's room door. Before she can blink, he's standing in front of her, a huge smile on his face. "Wow, you look stunning, Elena. Come on in," he says, stepping aside to let her in. "I'm sorry, I didn't bring a suit with me," Damon mentions, running his hand over his clothes. Damon is wearing a nice pair of jeans, a tailored white button down topped off with a tie. His boots have been polished and he does look quite fine in her opinion.

"You look very well put together, Mr. Salvatore," she teases. Staring at her as if she's his most precious possession, Damon lowers his mouth to hers. Using his tongue, he runs the tip along the seam of her lips begging for entrance. Consumed, she feels herself spinning and not even breathing yet she feels more alive than she has in a very long time. Feeling his fingers tilting her face just so ignites the fire, sending it coursing through her veins. When the clutch falls from her hand, Elena twists her hand into the hairs at the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. Her whole body is alight with electricity as their lips slide and mold, his against hers. Feeling the coil begin to heat and expand in her lower belly, Elena finally has to pull back. "Wow," she mumbles, pressing her fingertips to her already kiss swollen lips. With his mouth still hovering close to her face, he whispers in her ear, "I've been waiting a whole year to do that."

"Do women really fall for that line?" Elena asks, laughing herself.

"Did it work?" Damon chuckles, embracing her in a hug. After dropping a kiss to the top of her head, they separate. Elena's eyes are playful and full of mirth when she shakes her head. Unconsciously licking her lips when he turns his back to her to slip his coat on, she's taken by his well sculpted frame. She can't wait to run her fingers along his bare flesh. Feeling goosebumps erupt, she tells herself to tamper it down. Offering his hand, she takes is with a smile and leave his room. Since this is a rather upscale motel slash convention center, there's a four star restaurant and lounge included as part of the complex. Since Damon made reservations, the hostess seats them right away. The atmosphere is romantic, drippy candles on the tables. The lighting is subdued creating a beautiful ambience. Somehow she knows that Damon specifically requested the secluded table.

Once they order drinks, Damon asks her to dance. Taking their places, they wait for the music to begin. Once it starts, they circle each other, his gaze locked on hers. Placing his hand on her waist, Damon pulls her close. Together, they dance to the music, their feet in perfect harmony to the rhythm of the music. Feeling more relaxed as the song progresses, Elena can't help but smile at him. Damon has always been sinfully handsome. With her lady parts coming alive with his mere touch, he turns her elegantly. His body becoming a slave to the tune. Pulling her in closer, he splays his palm across the small of her back, his fingertips ghosting the curve of her bottom with each twist and turn they make. Much too soon the song is coming to an end. Taking her hand in his, Damon glides her across the dance floor as if they were part of an elaborate yet beautiful dream. With his eyes never leaving hers, he slowly lowers his lips capturing her mouth in a sweet kiss. When the music stops, he presses his hand against her backside, again sending sparks and pops flowing through her veins like molten lava.

"Thanks for the dance," he says, pulling her chair out for her.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know you were a dancer?"

"Don't tell anyone but my mom made Stefan and I take dance lessons. She said it impresses the ladies," Damon adds with a sexy waggle of his brows.

"She was right," Elena adds, laughing. Once they're both seated, the waitress brings them each a glass of wine. After taking their food orders, the lady disappears.

"This is really good," she mentions, taking another sip of her wine.

"It's a Moscato. It's inexpensive but it's quite tasty."

"I agree," Elena starts to say, interrupted when the waitress sets her steak and scallops in front of her first and then Damon. With a nod of their heads, the lady grinds some fresh pepper on top of their salads and potatoes. Cutting her meat, Elena sticks a piece in her mouth, savoring the flavor as it bursts onto her taste buds. Picking up her wine flute, she happens to see Damon, immediately the sound of laughter fills their table.

"What?" he asks, still chewing on his food.

"It must be good judging by that orgasm face you made."

"Ha ha ha," Damon laughs, putting his knife and fork down to take another swallow of his own wine. "But it is very good."

"It is." Elena gives him another coy smile before taking a bite of her scallops. With the atmosphere light and pleasant between them, they finish eating their food. After sharing a dessert, Damon takes her for a spin on the dance floor once more before he pays their bill, leaves a tip and escorts her out of the restaurant. Looking at the clock, she sees that it's late already. Hand in hand, they step into the elevator to go back to his room. Once he opens the door, he lets her go inside first. Damon tells her to have a seat while he takes his tie off before disappearing into the bathroom. Elena drops her jacket off of her shoulders, draping it along with her clutch on the seat of a chair. Plopping down on the bed, she waits for Damon to come out of the bathroom. Moments later he does, a big smile on his face. Sitting down beside her on the bed, he takes her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I can tell you how happy I am that you're willing to give us a chance, Elena. I never dreamed we'd find ourselves back here a decade later but I'm overjoyed that we have."

"When I married Jed, I never dreamed it either."

"We're playing a show in Fort Myers at the beginning of February. It's a charity event for my dad's company. They're trying to raise enough money to send some special needs children to Disney World. I was wondering if maybe you'd come? My house is in Fort Myers Beach which is about twenty miles from my parents home."

"Damon, I'd love to come. Just let me know when so I can make arrangements for my store."

"You should take me to your business. I'd love to see it. Maybe you could help me choose a fragrance for my mom?"

"Deal," Elena laughs, shaking their conjoined hands. "I don't want the evening to end but I need to get home. I really enjoyed myself tonight, Damon."

"Me too," he whispers, closing the distance between them. Before she can pull away, he wraps her in his arms in bone melting kiss. With her blood on fire all over again, she kisses him back with everything in her. When they come up for air, Elena presses her palm against her galloping heart. "Wow, you're a good kisser," she mumbles, her mouth gapes open when she realizes that she said that out loud.

"You're a very good kisser yourself, Elena," Damon adds, giving her another squeeze. "I know you have to go. I'll walk you down to your car. Where should we meet tomorrow?"

"My store is downtown. Why don't you come there if you want me to show you around?"

"Sounds good," he agrees. Standing up, Damon picks up her coat, holding it out so she can slide her arms through. After handing her the clutch, he sticks his room key in his pocket then follows her into the elevator. As soon as they get to her car, Damon pulls the door open after she unlocks it. Giving her another quick kiss, Damon stays outside, watching her drive away till he can no longer see her tail lights. With a spring in his step, he goes back to his room, his heart bursting with all kinds unfamiliar yet wonderful emotions.

* * *

Their days together pass in a blur as Damon and Elena spend as much time together as they can. She shows him her store and he tells her how proud of her he is for going after her dreams. As much as he dreaded this day's arrival, he has to drive back to Florida. Standing outside, leaning against his car, Damon embraces her, pulling her into his chest. Dropping a kiss to the top of her head, he lowers his eyes. "I don't want to leave," he says softly, frowning.

"I don't want you to go either," Elena pouts adorably.

"Listen, we can skype, I'll call. We can make this work somehow, Elena, I promise. You're going to be my number one priority even if it means cutting back on gigs. I really want this life with you."

"I want it too, Damon but you better be on your way." Standing on her tiptoes, she drops a kiss to his lips then steps back so he can get behind the wheel of his classic Camaro. Elena pushes the door closed but Damon opens the window. Leaning in, he threads his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her neck and kisses her once more. When they separate, Damon looks at her and whispers, "I love you, Elena." She knows he's sincere by the look in his eyes. They're full of love, respect and the promise of forever.

"I love you too, Damon," she says, echoing his words as their smiles match. Stepping back, Elena waves as he pulls out of her driveway and takes off down the street. She watches till he turns the corner. Moments later, Caroline pulls in. Stepping out of her car, she gives Elena a hug.

"I love him, Caroline. I really love him."

"I know you do. And I'm certain he loves you too."

"Do you think it's too soon?"

"No, I don't. You haven't loved your husband for years, Elena. You can admit that. He deceived you into marrying him and yet you still tried to make it work. I don't want you to feel bad about loving Damon."

"I don't. That realtor friend of yours, do you think she'd put the house on the market for me? I want a fresh start, not just with Damon but with this place too."

"I'll give her a call. You'll need to give her an idea of what kind of a place you're interested in too. You'll need a place to live," Caroline points out as she follows Elena into the house. Once inside, Elena pours them each a cup of coffee. Sitting down, she threads her fingers through her hair and drops her head for a moment.

"He lives in Fort Myers Beach. He has a beach house, Caroline. Who would want to give that up?"

"Who says he has to give it up? You could spend part of your time here and part of your time there."

"I never thought of that but you're right. What's to stop us?" Feeling happy and more confident by the moment, Elena takes a swallow of coffee, beaming at her friend when Caroline gives her a reassuring nod.

* * *

It's nearly a thousand miles from Elena's home to his own. By the end of the second day, he pulls into his driveway. Completely exhausted, he drags himself into his house. Without bothering to unpack, Damon goes straight to his bedroom. Despite his level of fatigue, he feels sweaty and sticky from driving for the last two days. He quickly texts first Elena and then his parents before dropping his phone at his bedside. A deep yawn escapes as he walks to the bathroom. After turning on the bath water, he strips out of his clothes and crawls in. Taking his blow up pillow, he puts it behind his neck and closes his eyes. The warm water, the lavender scent and his level of fatigue soon combine to lull Damon to sleep.

 _"This is your store?" Damon asks, his eyes alight when he walks inside. The place is light and airy. The walls are painted white and adorned with pictures of women wearing makeup. The whole theme of the place comes together quite beautifully. The makeup is all displayed in glass cases with testers available on the counter tops for guests to sample and play with. There's a miniature rock fountain near the cash register the sound providing the perfect relaxing ambience._

 _"It's really nice in here," Damon mentions his eyes darting all around to take it all in._

 _"We think so," Caroline adds, interrupting when she steps inside too. Walking into the backroom to take off her coat, she rejoins Damon and Elena in mere moments. "What do you two have planned for the day?"_

 _"Caroline, I'm working too."_

 _"No, Damon leaves tomorrow. You two should spend the day together."_

 _"Are you sure?" Damon asks, hoping she's serious._

 _"Absolutely but you, mister, better take care of my girl._

 _"I will. I promise I will."_

 _"See Elena? Now get out of here," she adds, using a shooing motion to nudge Damon and Elena out of the store. Elena quickly puts her coat on and then follows Damon outside. Offering his hand, the two of them walk down the side walk together, Damon proud as a peacock to have this woman by his side._

Springing upright when the cold water wakes him up, Damon pulls himself out of the tub, cinches a towel around his waist and walks over to his bed. Dropping the towel, he crawls under the covers, a smile playing on his face, knowing that he no longer has to worry about Elena reconciling with her husband.

The next month passes slowly for Damon. Every night he dreams of going to bed and waking up with her. Having had concerts in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Miami and Cincinnati, Damon is relieved to be home for the next several weeks. Other than the charity concert for his father, the band has several weeks off. Despite his busy schedule, every day he made sure to put aside some time to skype or to talk to her on the phone or to text his location. Often he sent her pictures from the venues that they were playing at. The last thing he would do every night before crawling into bed was tell her that he loves her.

* * *

Walking along the beach behind his house, he has some time to kill before he has to go to the airport to pick her up. She wanted to drive but relented when Damon told her that he'd worry about her driving so far by herself. Kicking the sand, he bends over to pick up a conch shell. Placing it against his ear, he smiles when he hears the sound of the ocean in its depths. Carrying it with him, he walks closer to the water and breathes in the smell of salt and sea water. With his attention on the water and his mind on Elena, he doesn't hear his father walk up behind him. Jumping when he feels a hand on his shoulder, Damon breathes a sigh of relief when he sees who it is.

"Dad? You scared the bejesus out of me."

"Sorry. I'm on my way home and I saw your car in the driveway so I thought I'd run in. What time does Elena's plane land?"

"It's due in at 4:47. The last time I looked it hadn't been delayed."

"You seem rather subdued, Damon. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, dad, it is. I want to marry her but I'm afraid that it might be too soon to ask. Her divorce isn't final yet."

"I'm happy for you, Damon. But you need to talk to her about that. Plus there are logistics to think about. Her home and business are in Mystic Falls. Your home is here. Have you thought about that?"

"Actually I have. I thought maybe we could go back and forth. Spend part of the time there and part of our time here. I want to be where she is but you're right, I don't want to give up this place. I love it here."

"I'm sure she'd find that a fair compromise but again, you and Elena will have to have a long talk about the future."

"I know." Glancing at his watch, Damon sees that it's almost three o'clock. Anxious to see her again, he and his dad walk back to the house. After telling his father that he'll bring Elena by tomorrow to say hello, he tells him goodbye, waving as his father drives off. Running into the house, he quickly freshens up a bit then hops into his car and drives straight to Southwest Florida International Airport. Parking his car, he runs into the concourse to wait for her. Looking up which baggage claim is hers, Damon goes there to wait for her. 4:47, 4:52, 4:59, 5:04, dropping his chin to his chest when he looks at the clock for the umpteenth time, he walks over to the coffee shop to get something to drink. With his back turned, he doesn't see Elena when she finally walks up to the luggage carousel assigned to her flight. After paying for his drink he turns around, a huge smile forming on his face when he recognizes her profile. Quickly he closes the distance between them. As soon as he can reach her soft skin, Damon lays his hand on her arm.

Ready to lambaste whoever is touching her, Elena turns, furor morphing into fervor as she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls his mouth to hers.

* * *

 _Thank you so much, Eva. Love you dearly._

 _And thank you to all of you for the reviews, follows and favorite. They just mean so much to myself and to Eva._

 _Chapter title: "Start Again" by Red._

 _I have posted several one shots. Two for the LJ A2A exchange and two other Christmas one shots, 'Someday At Christmas' which I wrote for Eva and 'Christmas for Cowboys' that I wrote for Kim._ _RFTR updated yesterday and Flames updated on Friday. I did also post a one shot, "I Believe I Can Fly" earlier today. Damon is a trapeze artist. Next to update will be chapter 16 of ICEM._

 _Please click that review button._

 _You all have a wonderful evening, Monday. I'm off to work. Thank you all again so much._


	5. Someday

_**Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah and for those of you that don't celebrate the day, I hope it's wonderful for all of you too.**_

* * *

"It's good to see you," Damon gushes when they pull apart. Unable to help himself, he wraps her in his arms, holding her tight to his chest. His heart is beating a thundering staccato against his chest wall. Her mere touch stokes the heat that's beginning to bloom in his belly. Everywhere their skin touches, fire erupts to point of nearly taking his breath away.

"I'm happy to be here too," Elena agrees, threading her fingers with his. With their hands entwined, they wait for her suitcase to drop onto the carousel. When it does, Elena points it out to him, allowing Damon to quickly grab it. With the suitcase in one hand, Elena's in the other, they walk out of the airport and to his car. After putting her luggage in his trunk, he opens the door, letting Elena slide in. Once he's behind the wheel, he leans towards her to press another kiss to her lips.

"Listen, I hope you don't mind but I thought you could stay at my place? I'm so excited to have you here, Elena. We can take things as slow or as fast as you want, I just want to spend every moment with you."

"Actually I was hoping you'd offer to let me stay with you. I can't wait to get on that beach."

"Let's go then," Damon agrees. Turning on the ignition, he looks behind while backing out. Taking her hand in his, he drives with one hand nearly all the way to his place. "I promised my parents that we'd come by for supper tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Absolutely. I'm looking forward to seeing them again. It's beautiful here," Elena mentions as she stares out of her window. Everywhere she looks she sees sand and palm trees and beautiful homes. The sky is as clear and the weather is warm with the temperature nearing eighty. Sighing, Elena realizes that she could get used to this.

"So how's Caroline?"

"She's good. She ran interference for me with Jed. I wish he'd just let go, Damon. We've been a couple in name only for years already. I don't want what we did share to turn ugly and hateful but if he doesn't leave me alone, that's what will happen."

"Elena, he wouldn't hurt you would he?"

"No, he wouldn't physically hurt me but words can weapons just as lethal. He doesn't want the divorce because I make for pretty eye candy when he has conventions and business engagements to attend. I don't want that anymore, I want you, Damon. That said, I won't be your second fiddle either. We're going to have to put ourselves first if this is going to work."

"You're right, I agree wholeheartedly. I already know that I love you, Elena. More than anything..., I want us to work," he tells her sincerely. Raising her hand, he presses a kiss to it then turns his attention back to the highway in front of him. Maybe a half an hour later, Damon pulls into his driveway. Elena's eyes widen as she looks at his beach house. It's a two story house with big windows. The wood looks weathered and worn and completely perfect for the home.

"This is incredible, Damon," Elena says, her mouth hanging open. After pulling her bag out of the trunk, he takes her hand, leading her into the house. Setting it down, Damon takes her into the living room so he can let her look around. The view from the sliding glass doors is beautiful. Sliding it open, Damon lets her walk out onto the wrap around deck. Elena is simply amazed that he has beach chairs, a grill and even a bar out here. When she scans the horizon, she finally notices that he has a walkway way leading to a dock. There's a small boat secured to it.

"You have to take me out on that boat?" She says, her smile beaming.

"Oh, I will," Damon assures her. Standing behind her, he wraps her in his arms and pulls her against his chest. Burying his face in her hair, he whispers, "Pinch me."

"I'm really here, Damon. I love your home. How many bedrooms does it have?"

"Three bedrooms, two baths. I use one of the bedrooms as an office. I have my piano and some other things in there. Do you want to look around?"

"I'd love to."

Before letting another moment pass, Damon steps back, spins her around and plants a smoldering kiss to her lips. Elena feels her belly coil and warm when she feels Damon's hand ghost along the waist of her jeans shorts. Feeling his hand splayed across her backside causes sparks to erupt everywhere his fingertips touch her bare skin. Damon breaks the kiss, dropping one more peck to her lips before reaching for her hand to give it a squeeze.

"Let's go down to the beach for a little bit," he says, opening the sliding for her. Stepping outside, Elena is mesmerized by the majestic deep blue hue of the Atlantic ocean. Taking his hand again, Elena walks down the stairs of his deck and onto the sand. Although the sun is still high in the horizon, she feels a chill. Maybe it's his close proximity and how much his mere touch excites her. Wanting to touch even more of her, Damon immediately wraps his arm around her shoulders, holding her against his warm muscular chest. Smiling, she watches the hungry seagulls beat their wings against the light breeze. With all of her senses on alert, she's dazzled by the way the sand dances with hues of gold when the sunlight dances across it. The smell of the saltwater wafts through her nose, releasing a flood of happiness. Stopping, she slips off her sandals and dances giddily as the gritty sand squeezes between her toes with each step she takes. The infinite blue sky above is beginning to blend into shades of orange and yellow as the sun now begins its descent in the western sky. Big white fluffy clouds add to a touch of whimsy to the aura.

"It's so peaceful and relaxing here, Damon. I can see why you call this home."

"My home is wherever you are, Elena. Yes, I love this place so much but I want to be with you and if that means giving this place up, I will."

"I don't want you to give it up, I mean, lots of couples have more than one home."

"They do," Damon agrees, dropping a kiss to the base of her thumb. Smiling at him, they walk closer to the water, spooking the hungry seagulls. A light breeze begins to kick up and blow a little dust around. Stepping into the water, he beams himself when he sees how carefree and happy she looks in this moment. Looking to her left, Elena sees a group of young people surrounding a fire pit. If she tries hard enough, she can almost smell the scent of the marshmallows burnt by the flames. Now looking to her right, she sees a couple of fisherman sitting on the end of the dock, their fishing poles leaning over the water. Turning again, she stands so she's facing Damon. Stepping into his embrace, she wraps her own arms around his middle and lays her head against his chest. They just stand there, absorbing each other and their magical surrounds. After she feels him drop a kiss to her hair, she pulls away and offers her hand. Not moving yet, she continues to look around the beach. Breathing deeply, she takes in the smell of the salty sea air. Sighing, heavily she holds on to his hand while dropping onto the sand. Damon plops down beside her, wrapping an arm around her again to pull her into his chest.

"This isn't a private beach so I suppose it gets pretty crowded in the summer time?"

"It does.. but it's fun to people watch too."

"Do you ever get approached for your autograph?"

"I have, yes," he admits.

"That's cool. But listen, Mr. Salvatore, I'm hungry."

"Do you want me to take you out or do you want me to cook for you?"

"Let's stay here. We can eat on your deck can't we?"

"Whatever you want, lovely lady." Standing up, he offers her his hand. Pulling her up, he doesn't let go of her hand as the two of them walk side by side in comfortable silence back to his house.

* * *

After they eat, Elena walks back onto the deck. Taking a seat in one of the Adirondack chairs, she breathes in the fresh clean salty air. Raising her eyes to the starlit sky, she feels so at peace and content. She thinks of how much time she and Damon lost during the last decade but maybe they needed the intervening years to grow up and really find each other. Her thoughts are interrupted when he drapes a light throw over her shoulders. After he lights the fire pit, he goes back inside for a moment, returning with a bottle of wine and a glass for each of them. Standing up, Elena lets Damon take her place so she can sit in his lap. As soon as she's comfortable, Damon wraps his arms around her. Unable to help himself, he presses kiss after kiss to the top of her head. Leaning forward, Elena reaches for their wine, handing one glass to Damon before taking a sip of her own.

"This is good," Elena compliments, taking a second sip before leaning back into his arms.

"It's a California Zinfandel. It's tasty. I like a nice wine but I also like a good stout beer."

"I do too," she laughs, planting a quick kiss on his lips. Smiling down at her, Damon can't believe how perfect and right this all feels. Giving her a squeeze, he closes his eyes, reveling in the feel of her in his arms.

"I filed my divorce papers before I came. I'll be free in a few months."

"Do you have any idea how happy that makes me? I love you so much, Elena. And when I think of being apart from you for the last ten years, it saddens me but another part of me realizes that maybe we needed this time to find ourselves, to grow up. I don't know, Elena. Back then, I was nowhere near ready to settle down with you or any other woman for that matter. I do know that I did love you in high school but I think we both needed to follow our dreams and get to this point in our lives where we both know what we want. And Elena, I love you more today than I ever did before. I want to spend my life making you happy. I know you want to go slow but know this, Elena Gilbert, I'm going to marry you someday," Damon professes, his voice full of sincerity.

"I love you too, Damon," she whispers, succumbing to the carnal touch when he lays his mouth to hers. Although her body burns hot with desire, she wants to wait a little longer before they sleep together. Pulling apart, she has to cover her mouth when a big yawn escapes.

"C'mon, my love, let's go to bed." Letting her stand first, Damon gets up, puts the fire out while Elena picks up the wine bottle and their glasses. After taking them to the sink, he leads her to his bedroom. "Tell me if I'm being to forward but I want you in my arms, Elena. We don't have to have sex until you're ready but let me hold you?"

"I want you to hold me," she admits. Opening her suitcase, she pulls out a cami and sleep shorts. She disappears into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. When she finishes, he's already in bed. Smiling, she crawls in beside him. As soon as she turns out the lamp at the bedside, he does the same. Once they're both settled under the covers, Damon pulls her back to his chest. Burying his face in her hair, his eyes fall closed. It isn't until he feels the rhythmic up and down of her chest that he lets sleep claim him too.

The urge to pee wakes Elena up. Carefully extricating herself from Damon's embrace, she sits up at the bedside. Noticing that it's only two thirty in the morning, she tiptoes to the bathroom. After she finishes, she goes back to bed, ever so gently sliding back into his comforting arms. When she feels Damon pull her close, she opens her eyes, realizing almost immediately that he's still asleep. His chest is rising and falling, his eyes are moving rapidly behind his closed lids. His handsome face is smooth save for the stubble peppering his face. Smiling, Elena closes her eyes and settles back in to sleep.

When Damon's eyes open the next morning, he's hot, uncomfortably so but it takes all of a millisecond for him to realize why. One of Elena's legs is hitched up over his, her arm draped over his belly and her face is buried in against his chest. He's in awe of the feelings that are ricocheting inside of him, Damon lowers his face to her hair and breathes her in. While in the throes of sleep, Elena's leg brushes over his manhood, immediately setting his blood on fire. As much as he wants to make love to her, he doesn't want to push her into doing something that she may not be ready for just yet. Closing his eyes, it takes every ounce of self control he possesses to tamper down his lust. When she starts to stir, he simply watches as her eyes begin to creep open. After blinking a couple of times, she rubs them with her fists before looking up at Damon.

"Morning," she says softly.

"I slept like a baby with you in my arms, Elena. I feel like I'm home again."

"Me too," she agrees, rolling over to face him.

"Do you have plans for the day?"

"I thought I'd give you a tour and then we're going over to mom and dad's house for supper. Stefan and Lexi will be there with my nephews, Reign and Robbie."

"Sounds good," Elena admits. After laying in bed for a little while longer, they finally pull themselves out of bed. Since it won't take Damon as long in the shower, Elena opts to let him wash up first. As soon as he steps out, she goes in, taking time to wash her hair. Once they're both ready, Damon makes her some breakfast, they leave Damon's house. Pausing to lock the door, he takes her hand, leading her to his vehicle. Once inside, he backs out of his driveway to show her the sights.

* * *

After spending several hours at the Naples Botanical Gardens, Damon drives them over to the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium. Holding hands, they walk through the animal exhibits and take in the planetarium show before Damon takes her to the flea market. When Elena sees the advertisement for the Murder Mystery Dinner train, she gets so excited that Damon cannot say no to her. Since it's early afternoon yet, he pays for their tickets and then the two of them get on board.

"I've never ridden on a train before."

"If you want to know the truth, I never have either," Damon admits, taking her hand, leading her to take a seat. As soon as everyone is one board, the train begins to move. While the characters bring the story to life, Elena is deep in thought trying to put the clues together to solve the murder.

"Who do you think did it?" she whispers, her mouth against Damon's ear.

"I think it was the governor's chief of staff," Damon suggests, softly explaining while he believes in that character's guilt.

"I think it's his secretary."

Waggling his brows at her teasingly, Damon says softly, "She is a looker so perhaps?"

"Men," Elena scoffs, elbowing him softly in the ribs. When Damon pouts adorably, she can't help but giggle. Just by happenstance she looks up to see the conductor eyeing her, silently telling her to quiet down. Meeting Damon's eyes, she has to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing some more. Shaking his head, he gives her hand a squeeze before they both turn their attention back to the game. By the time the train ride is through, Elena is one of three people to correctly identify the culprit. As they disembark, the conductor hands her a certificate. Smiling widely, she thanks him before saying goodbye. Looking at his watch, he sees it's nearly six thirty and because his parents are expecting them for supper, he hurries Elena along. When they reach his car, he opens the door, letting her slide in then jumps behind the wheel. Igniting the engine, he backs out, driving quickly but safely to their home.

* * *

Before they can even step out of the car, Damon's mother, Janie runs outside. Before Elena can utter a word, she's being squeezed lovingly by the woman. "Elena, it's so good to see you. The years have been a friend to you," the woman adds, smirking at her son.

"Thank you, Janie. It's good to see you too and the years have been very kind to you as well ."

"Let's get inside, the boys are chomping at the bit to eat."

"I can smell the burgers cooking," Damon adds, feeling a little neglected.

"I'll take Elena to the backyard, you go get the potato salad out of the refrig. Come Elena," she adds, threading Elena's arm through hers. Flashing a beaming smile at Damon, she follows Janie, the two women leaving him behind. Chuckling, he goes into the kitchen to get the salad. Just as he's about to stick one of his mom's deviled eggs into his mouth, she walks in. Folding her arms over her chest, she flashes his patented eye thing right back at him.

"You know I love these things, mom."

"Bring them along, they're dishing up outside."

"Thanks," Damon adds, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're just lucky you live in a temperate climate or we wouldn't be grilling in February."

"I know." Following her outside, Damon sets the platter of eggs and the potato salad on the table. Smiling when he sees Elena happily visiting with Stefan and Lexi, he fills a plate for himself then takes a seat beside her. As Damon lifts his can of soda to his lips, Reign runs into him causing the drink to spill down his front. Sputtering, Damon spins around, losing his bluster as soon as he sees his nephew's lip quivering.

"I'm sorry uncle Damon."

"I know you are. Did you meet Elena?"

"Yeah, Daddy said who she was. You keep my place warm while I go steal one of grandpa's clean shirts okay?" Just as he stands up, Robbie runs into him, nearly knocking uncle Damon over. "Hi uncle, Damon."

"Slow down there, Rob. Did you eat your food already?"

"No, I wanted to say hi."

"You sit down to eat, I need to take this wet shirt off. Say hi to Elena."

"Okay," Robbie agrees, taking the seat Damon just vacated. Glancing at Elena, he rolls his eyes when he sees her laughing at him. "You'll get yours later," he mouths the turns around to go into the house. After he rejoins his family, they visit for a couple of hours. Elena can't help but be amazed at the easy rapport Damon has with his nephews. She watches as he plays catch with the boys, patiently tossing the ball to them. It warms her heart to see him interact with them. When darkness starts to cover the yard, Damon helps his father and brother to clean up. By happenstance, he notices that both Elena and his mother are yawning widely. Since he and Elena have had a busy day, they say goodnight and drive the twenty miles back to his beach house. As soon as they get to the house, they go straight to bed, falling asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

Elena feels herself start to become coherent when a bright beam of afternoon sunlight shines directly across her face. At first, she doesn't want to open her eyes, instead burying her face in the pillow for a few more moments. Feeling groggy, and stuck in that place between dreams and reality, she rolls over again. Not yet willing to face daylight, she covers her eyes with her forearm. Sometime later, she raises one eye and then the other, whispering good morning when she notices him staring at her.

"Good morning," Damon practically purrs. Using his hand, he runs it along her belly causing goose bumps to erupt. Venturing to push things a little forward, Damon slowly moves his hand upward, skimming the curve of her breast, his thumb grazing her left nipple. Using his thumb and forefinger, he squeezes and twists it a little too delicately for Elena's taste but it's enough to cause the coil in her belly to unfurl and smolder as blood engorges her lady parts. Inching his face closer, Damon captures her mouth while his hand continues its exquisite torture of her breast. Not one to be one upped, Elena slides her hand under his boxer briefs and wraps her hand around him. As soon as she starts squeeze and massaging, a heady moan leaves his mouth. Dropping his forehead against hers, he starts to thrust into her hand.

"God, Elena," he mumbles incoherently. Wanting to come with her, Damon reluctantly removes her hand before shimmying out of his briefs. With a nod from Elena, he practically rips her camisole down the middle, revealing her bosom to him. Not through yet, she raises her hips so he can pull her panties down her svelte legs. As soon as they're both unencumbered by clothing, he positions himself between her legs. When he starts to lower himself, Elena stops him.

"No, I want you now, Damon."

"I want to give you a taste of what I can give you."

"I know what you can give me. This isn't our first time at the rodeo, Damon. Besides, you can show me later," she breathes. Damon stares deeply into her eyes for a several seconds. Elena cradles his cheeks and pulls his lips to hers. With their mouths engaged in a smoldering kiss, Elena wraps her legs around his hips, feeling the tip at her wet and ready core.

"Oh God, condom," Damon blurts out. Rolling off of her, he quickly reaches into his bedside stand. Ripping it open, he hands it to her to roll it on him. Once he positions himself again, he stares into her eyes, his lips hitting hers at the same time he pushes himself inside of her. Her arms tighten around him as her hips raise to meet him, pulling him even deeper inside of her. Elena cries out as he moves, letting him fill her inch by delicious inch again and again. Damon can feel the way she comes alive with his touch, the way that she finds her way back to him. He hears it in her voice, the way she speaks his name. It's filled with want and need and so much love. It's all he's ever wanted, she's the light that brought him home. When Elena shifts under him, he holds her face between his hands as he kisses her. Her arms circle around his neck pulling his chest even closer while at the same time he continues his punishing rhythm as he dives in and out of her body. Trailing kisses across her cheek and along the curve of her jaw, he drops his face into the space between her neck and shoulder. And when she hears him whisper, "My heart has always been yours." Moments later, her whole body tightens around him as she finally lets go, her release washing all the time away with the strength of his love alone. Her orgasm triggers his, the force of it completing her in all the ways she's missed since they've been apart.

When Damon can feel his limbs again, he raises his head, his eyes staring into hers. "Was this okay? I mean, I know you wanted to wait...?" he asks, a look of trepidation on his face.

"It was perfect and I'm not sorry," she assures him, rubbing her nose with his. The smile forming on Damon's face makes her all warm and bubbly on the inside. Rolling off of her, he wraps her in his embrace, pulling her close, whispering love and admiration and the promise of forever.

* * *

Elena has a powerful hankering to go to one of the local flea markets. Fleamaster's is huge and has a festive atmosphere. There are hundreds of bargain-packed booths, some selling fresh produce, hand made jewelry, arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles. Hand in hand, Damon and Elena walk along the path, stopping at whichever booth piques her interest. Before they left his house, he grabbed a satchel so he'd have something to carry her purchases in. Elena wants him to make her a homemade cobb salad for supper so they choose tomatoes and cucumbers and heads of romaine. There's another booth with homemade beef jerky. The man selling it gave Damon a sample. Saying it was the best beef jerky he's ever eaten, he purchases a couple of pounds. From that booth, Elena eyes a moonstone necklace for both herself and for Caroline.

One of the shops has Bohemian-chic line of dresses and tops, Elena is giddy with excitement when she picks a dress. They continue to walk through the different venues, taking a break long enough to share a funnel cake. It's a fried confection covered with confectioners sugar, cherry pie mix and whipped cream.

"This is nirvana," Elena mumbles, her mouth full. Laughing at her childish innocence, Damon leans forward, licking the dusting of powdered sugar off the tip of her nose. When she looks up at him with a beaming smile, he steals one more quick kiss from her lips before taking another bite of the delicious goodness for himself. By the end of the day, Damon's satchel is bulging. Taking her hand, they walk back to his car to go back to his house.

Once they take everything in the house, Elena gets all giddy again as she looks at her purchases. "Caroline is going to love this top," she gushes, folding it up to put in her suitcase. When she's done putting her things together, she and Damon work together to build their cobb salad. Damon grills some chicken breast while she chops vegetables and tears up lettuce. As soon as the eggs are cooked, she turns off the stove and drains the water from the pot. After they cool enough to hold, she peels and slices them. Moments later, Damon comes back in the house with the chicken. Slicing it up, they build their salad, when complete, Damon grabs a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator. Each taking a plate, they go onto the deck to enjoy their meal. When they finish, Damon carries their plates into the house. Stepping back onto the deck he offers her his hand, then the two of them walk down to the water to watch the sunset. Plopping onto the sand, Damon splits his legs so he can cradle her between them. Leaning her back into his chest, she practically purrs, when he wraps her in his strong embrace. They watch as the sun slowly begins to sink on the horizon. The bright orange glow mingles with the blue sky producing a contrast of colors. It's truly beautiful the way it illuminates everything as it drops lower and lower in the western hemisphere. Everything is still and the effect the sunlight on a sea of colors makes the water sparkle like a million twinkling diamonds. By the time it finally disappears, Elena is mesmerized by the sheer splendor of it all. Sucking in another deep pull of the fresh sea air, she closes her eyes, entranced by the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore as high tide rolls in. Feeling safe and warm and so loved in his arms, Elena knows that this is where her future lies.

* * *

Walking into the airport, Damon's heart is heavy. After the charity event the night before last, they spent yesterday at the beach and in bed. Although he doesn't want her to leave, he knows and understands that she has obligations in Mystic Falls. Holding her hand as if she was his lifeline, Damon walks along with her so she can check in. He'll have to leave her afterwards so she can go to her gate. With her flight leaving soon, as much as his gut is twisting, painfully so, he has to say goodbye.

"I love you, Elena. You need to call me when you land so I know that you got home safely."

"I love you too, Damon. I promise that I'll text you as soon as I get off of the plane. When will we see each other again?"

"As soon as I can make it happen. I'm not letting you go a second time. You're my past, my present and my future. Somehow we're going to make this work, Elena, you have my word."

"I want that too, Damon," she starts to say when the announcement for her flight interrupts them. "I have to go," she whispers. Without letting another second pass, Damon pulls her into his arms, joining their mouths in a sweltering kiss. His lips are firm and unyielding as are his hands on her middle. Feeling the fire beginning to burn inside, she kisses him like it's their last kiss. Splaying his hands against her back, he grazes the bare skin at the small of her back. Flicking his tongue against hers, it's like she's drowning and happily so if this is how it feels. When the boarding call is announced once more, Damon lets go, leaving her melting on the inside. Elena presses one more kiss to his lips before grabbing her carry on bag and disappearing down the concourse. Lowering his head in sadness, Damon walks out of the airport feeling more alone than he's ever felt.

* * *

" _City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, In the air there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile and on every street corner you'll hear: Silver bells, silver bells, It's Christmas time in the city, ring a ling, hear them ring, soon it will be Christmas day,"_

Damon croons into the microphone, his band wrapping up the Christmas concert to raise money for the pediatrics ward of Mystic Falls hospital. Brady plays his guitar, Enzo is on bass, even Stefan is lending a hand tonight, playing along on the drums. Elena, Lexi, Caroline and Tyler are swaying along to the music. When Damon finishes the final song, he steps to the microphone to thank everyone for the generosity and to wish everyone a merry Christmas. Just as the men are ready to exit the stage, a roar of applause along with an unrelenting chorus of "encore, encore', fills the arena. Since it's a Christmas concert, her husband indulges them. Turning to face Elena, he gives her a wink and a come hither motion with his arm. Excited beyond words, Elena nudges their son to go to his dad. Noah runs pell-mell towards Damon who lifts him into the air as soon as their little man is in his arms. Seconds later, Santa Claus walks onto the stage too, surprising even Elena. Noah's eyes are so wide and full of wonder that Elena gets as close as she can and starts recording the scene.

"This is my son, Noah," Damon announces, his eyes glowing as he looks at their little boy. The crowd erupts all over again. Shy, Noah buries his face in Damon's neck until he hears a special voice.

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas," Santa greets the crowd, tossing candy to the children. Walking up to Noah, he talks to him animatedly, agreeing with everything the little boy tells him. Noah is little star struck, his eyes darting back and forth between Santa and his daddy. Once Santa finishes talking to Noah, Brady pushes a big chair out and encourages the children in the audience to have a chat with Santa too. Placing one of his little hands on each side of his daddy's face, Noah tells Damon all about it. So excitedly in fact that his words string together. Noah is nearly three years old and practically a carbon copy of his father. He has blue eyes and curly raven locks and is adorable tonight is his little Rudolph appliqued overalls, flannel shirt and boots. When music starts to play again, Damon hands him to Elena then goes back on stage to sing their final song, Santa joining him with vocals.

Once the song is over and they say goodnight to everyone, they happily go home. They're spending the holidays in Mystic Falls this year because Elena hoped for a white Christmas and the odds of that happening were much better here. Frank, Janie and Stefan's family are here too, all staying in their house. They kept Damon's beach house since they both love it so much, choosing to add a couple of rooms to make space for the expanding family. Since Elena is still in business with Caroline, they do spend time in Virginia too but not as much. Elena and Caroline opened a second store in Fort Myer's Beach that is doing well financially. When she and Damon are in Mystic Falls, Lexi manages the place. Although she's never taken any lessons, Lexi is surprisingly very adept at makeup application, often doing makeovers, prom, special occasions and even wedding makeup looks. She loves working with Elena. Caroline and Tyler have made the trip to Florida to spend time with Elena and getting to know Lexi. Caroline hired a local girl to fill in when Elena is in Fort Myers.

As soon as they get home, Damon takes an already sleeping Noah to bed. When he comes back downstairs, Elena is putting presents around the tree. Once all of the gifts are arranged under the tree, Damon and Elena visit with his parents as well as Stefan and Lexi. After finishing up their hot chocolate and cookie snack, Damon tells Elena to go to bed, that he'll be up shortly. Yawning widely, she nods her head then disappears at the top of the stairs. With his mom's help, Damon does the dishes and puts things away. At the last minute, he sets half a glass of milk and a partially eaten cookie in front of the fireplace so the kids will think that Santa stopped to indulge. As soon as he's satisfied, he goes upstairs, slips out of his clothes and crawls into bed. Burying his face in her hair, he's lulled to sleep almost immediately by the jasmine and vanilla scent of her hair.

Damon awakens slowly, opening one eye and then the other. He is on his side, Elena's warm body snuggled in, her back to his front. The hand draping across her body is possessively cupping her breast. One of his legs is thrown over her thigh. Pressing his face into the back of her head, Damon buries his nose into her hair. So peaceful is he in this moment that he closes his eyes, a contented sigh leaving his mouth. Never able to get enough, he nuzzles her and pulls her body closer still.

When her soft hand grazes his cock, a shiver of lust rockets up Damon's spine. Elena's fingers softly trace the contours of his erection. Damon doesn't move, letting her take control instead. With her hand feeling like heaven itself, a groan escapes his mouth. Taking a breath to calm himself, Damon starts to caress the breast that's still cupped in his hand. He rolls the nipple between his fingers, squeezing and tugging, drawing a breathy whimper from her. While his tongue is tracing the shell of her ear, goosebumps erupt on her skin. Rolling over to face him, his silky girth still in her hand, she continues to stroke him. Gazing up at Damon with sexy yet still sleepy eyes and a shit eating grin only makes him harder. Unable to look away, he holds her stare while she tightens her grip. Gathering moisture from the tip, she uses it to massage the head with her thumb.

"Merry Christmas," she whispers, her voice low and seductive.

"Merry Christmas," he repeats. With his body humming, Damon reaches down, hooking her leg behind the knee and pulling it up over his hip so that he can run his fingers down her stomach and into the wetness between her legs. He moans at how hot she is already.

"So wet," he murmurs as he teases her clit, earning a gasp from her now parted lips. Wanting a taste of those lips, he leans forward to do just that, kissing her with purpose. When she starts to stroke him even harder, he deepens the kiss. His wife will surely be the death of him, he realizes, but what a way to go!

"Damon," she moans as he trails his lips down her neck. While she's distracted with his mouth, he slips his fingers inside of her.

"How?" he asks softly, looking up at her at the same time his mouth reaches her breast. With a twinkle, he sucks her dusky pink nipple into his mouth, worrying it lightly with his teeth and causing her to groan. Biting on her lower lip, Elena pulls away and gets onto her hands and knees. Looking over her shoulder, her big brown eyes meet his. When she drags her tongue along her lush lips, Damon's shivers and moves behind her. Once he's on his knees, he takes a moment to admire every inch of her glorious naked body. Giving her backside a squeeze, Damon rolls his eyes when she starts to wiggle her hips, brushing them against his erection.

"Please, Damon," she whimpers, her brown eyes meeting his when she looks over her shoulder again. Damon positions himself before slamming into her. Using his hands, he grips her waist, holding her still while he fights back the release that is already threatening to level him. It takes every ounce of self control to hold back when he hears Elena mewling with pleasure. He pulls out slowly and then slams back inside, pulling her back against him as he continues to thrust forward.

"Oh God," Elena pants, her head flying back. Her gorgeous hair hanging all the way down to her waist. God, his wife is so perfect for him, Keeping a punishing pace, Damon never ceases to be amazed at the goddess he married. She so tight and so very good that she drives him nearly insane with want and desire. Each of his strokes pulls another whimper from her beautiful mouth. Wanting more, Elena uses the headboard for leverage, meeting him each time he thrusts forward, increasing the delicious friction.

Damon tries to regain the momentum but with Elena trying to get more by arching and grinding her ass against him, he doesn't have it in his power to deny her anything. Unable to hold back any longer, his grips tightens into her hips. Using one hand, he trails his fingertips around her belly and down to twist her clit, hoping to give her what she needs to force her over the edge, hoping he'll follow after her.

Falling forward, his chest presses into the warm skin of her back. Unable to control himself, he leans down and kisses a path up her back. The sights and sounds of their lovemaking brings him that much closer to his own release. His hips pound relentlessly, racing them both towards their orgasms. Whirling his finger over her sex swollen clit and seeing her chest heaving with heavy breaths indicates to Damon that she's close.

Elena says his name like a prayer as her hands push harder against the headboard, her backside meeting his front in a frenetic rhythm. And when he hears her little grunt, her body tenses, her hands fall and fist into the sheets. Whimpering as her orgasm washes through her, Elena is completely spent. He'll never tire of feeling her walls pulse around him. Now chasing his own release, Damon pounds into her, harder and deeper as he tries to capture it. The heat in his belly is spreading and filling his senses and with one more well aimed thrust, it explodes out of him, tearing a heady groan from his throat.

Unable to hold himself up, he collapses onto her. Once he can breathe normally, he pulls out and rolls to the side. As soon as she turns to face him, Damon kisses her deeply, hoping to convey just how much he loves her with the force of it. Unconsciously his hands roam over her bare skin and pull her close. Elena raises her arms to wrap around his neck. With her breasts brushing up against his chest, she initiates another smoldering, toe curling kiss.

When there's a twist on their doorknob and a frantic sounding "Mommy, daddy," Elena dives under the covers.

"Damon, can I let him in?"

"Sure, mom," Damon laughs, giving Elena a little tickle. As soon the door opens, Noah flies into the room and onto their bed. Bouncing up and down, he squeals, "Santa be here." Smiling at his mom, she gives him a nod then pulls the door closed, giving the little family some privacy.

"Santa was here?" Damon asks him, his eyes widening, feigning wonder for his little man.

"Ah ha, where mommy?"

Peaking her head out and tucking the covers tight around her breasts, Elena opens her arms, giving her little boy morning kisses and snuggles.

"Me go presents," he says, grabbing her hand to get her to come with him.

"Okay little man," Damon chuckles. Standing up, he quickly slips his robe on before picking Noah up and slinging him over his shoulder. Stopping at the doorway, he looks back, winking at his wife. "You coming?"

"In a moment, I'm going to use the bathroom first."

"I forgot the part about having to pee a lot," he laughs. The next thing he knows, a pillow whallops him right in the face. Stunned, he looks at his wife only to see a triumphant grin on her face. Unable to do anything but laugh when she raises her eyebrows as if to say, 'I won that round', he shakes his head and walks out of the room pulling the door closed so she can get dressed. Staggering out of bed, she hurries into the bathroom, slips on a nightgown, puts her hair in a messy bun and reaches for her robe. Walking over to the bed, she plops down to put her slippers on. Just as she's ready to get up, Damon walks back in the room.

"Where's Noah?"

"Grandma is giving him some breakfast. I promised him that I'd get mommy so he could open his presents. Reign, Robbie and Raylynn are chomping at the bit too," Damon laughs, taking a swallow from the coffee cup in his hand.

"We better not keep him waiting then." Getting up, Elena walks over to her husband, linking her hand with his.

"Hold that thought," he says, walking over to set his mug down. Stepping back over to her, he surprises her with a bone melting kiss.

"Now I'm ready to go downstairs," he adds, waggling his brows teasingly. Taking her hand, they walk down the stairs and to the living room, both of their hearts exploding with happiness when they see their son's eyes wide with wonder. When he sees them, he runs into his mommy's arms, squeezing her tight. Taking his hand, Elena leads him over to the tree and sits down on the floor with him. Smiling, Damon ambles over, dropping beside his wife and son. Elena's eyes dart back and forth between her husband and son. Never in her dreams did she imagine having such a life. Grateful and completely in love her family, she unconsciously rubs her belly. Damon gives her a knowing nod then lays his hand atop hers. They only have eyes for each other till the family ambles in screaming, "Merry Christmas," and within seconds the sounds of merriment and paper ripping fill the room.

The End.

* * *

 _Thank you, Eva. I'm so grateful for everything you do for me. I love you dearly._

 _Huge thanks to all of you as well._

 _Chapter title: 'Someday' by Michael Learns to Rock_

 _I have one more one-shot waiting to be posted. It's called "Burnt Ice". Several great writers have posted their one-shots for the 6th annual #Delena A2A Exchange on LJ this year. All of the stories posted so far are really good. I have favorited them if you want to check them out._

 _Please click the review button._

 _Have a safe and wonderful day and thank you all again._


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